Page 17 - Wilmington VG 2019

British forces occupied Wilmington in
January 1781 and evacuated the following
October. The Burgwin-Wright House Then
(c.1770) reflects this era. welcome

The Antebellum Years
(1840-1859) History

In 1840, the active port city became
a hub of trade with the addition of
the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
Impressive and enduring structures were
built in the decade that followed, including
Thalian Hall/City Hall (c.1858), Latimer Now
House (c.1852) and the Bellamy Mansion
Museum (c.1859). Wilmington
The Civil War (1861-1865)

The largest land-sea battle of the Civil
War was fought at Fort Fisher, near Kure
Beach. The access point for blockade
runners transporting Confederate FORT FISHER STATE HISTORIC SITE
supplies, Wilmington was protected by
Fort Fisher, the last Atlantic Coast port World War II home front activity. One of
of the Confederacy, until it fell to Federal the only remaining USO buildings still
troops on January 15, 1865, during the stands in Wilmington, at Orange and
largest naval bombardment of the 19th Second Streets, serving as a community
Century. The Battle of Forks Road followed arts center that houses a small WWII home
in February. front heritage museum.
In the early 1960s, North Carolina
The 20th Century school students helped save and preserve
(1940-1970) the WWII Battleship NORTH CAROLINA,
which is now moored in the Cape Fear
River as a memorial to the 11,000 North
In the 1940s, the Wilmington shipyard
built 243 ships and the city was a hub of Carolinians who died during the war.
Nine decks, which are open to the public,
interpret the daily life and combat the
Now crew faced during World War II, and its
new SECU Memorial Walkway, which
surrounds the Battleship, honors each
branch of the military.
Today, Wilmington is ushering in a
new era of vitality and experiences that
combine the city’s historic charm and
rich past with modern design and new
attractions to make it an even greater place
WILMINGTON RAILROAD MUSEUM to visit and explore.
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