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Wilmington, North Carolina

January 17, 2023

Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States.

Wilmington, North Carolina
City
Clockwise, from top left: USS North Carolina, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, Downtown Wilmington on the Cape Fear River, and Hoggard Hall on the campus of UNC Wilmington
Flag
Seal
Logo
Nickname(s): 
The Port City, ILM, Hollywood of the East, Wilmywood[1]
Location within New Hanover County
Wilmington
Location within North Carolina
Wilmington
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 34°13′24″N 77°54′44″W / 34.22333°N 77.91222°W / 34.22333; -77.91222Coordinates: 34°13′24″N 77°54′44″W / 34.22333°N 77.91222°W / 34.22333; -77.91222
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyNew Hanover
IncorporatedFebruary 20, 1739
Named forSpencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager
 • MayorBill Saffo[2] (D)
Area
[3]
 • City52.97 sq mi (137.19 km2)
 • Land51.41 sq mi (133.14 km2)
 • Water1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2)
Elevation
[5]
36 ft (11 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City115,451
 • Rank241st in the United States
8th in North Carolina
 • Density2,245.91/sq mi (867.15/km2)
 • Urban
255,329 (US: 159th)[4]
 • Urban density1,795.0/sq mi (693.1/km2)
 • Metro
282,573 (US: 167th)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
28401-28412
Area code910
FIPS code37-74440
GNIS feature ID1023269[5]
Primary AirportWilmington International Airport
Websitewww.wilmingtonnc.gov

With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that includes New Hanover and Pender counties in southeastern North Carolina,[6] which had a population of 301,284 at the 2020 census.[7] Its historic downtown has a 1.75-mile (2.82 km) Riverwalk,[8] developed as a tourist attraction in the late 20th century. In 2014, Wilmington's riverfront was ranked as the "Best American Riverfront" by readers of USA Today.[9] The National Trust for Historic Preservation selected Wilmington as one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations.[10]

City residents live between the Cape Fear river and the Atlantic ocean, with four nearby beach communities just outside Wilmington: Fort Fisher, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, all within half-hour drives from downtown Wilmington. The city is home to University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), which provides a wide variety of programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and adult learners, in addition to cultural and sports events open to the community.[11]

Toward the end of the 19th century, Wilmington was a majority-black, racially integrated prosperous city, and the largest city in North Carolina. In the Wilmington massacre of 1898, white supremacists launched a coup that overthrew the legitimately elected local Fusionist government.[12] They expelled opposition black and white leaders from the city,[12] destroyed the property and businesses of black citizens built up since the Civil War, including the only black newspaper in the city, and killed an estimated 60 to more than 300 people.[13] This coincided with broader efforts of disenfranchisement at the state level. Whereas North Carolina had 125,000 registered black voters in 1896, it had 6,000 black voters by 1902.[14] By 1910, Charlotte overtook Wilmington as North Carolina's largest city.

In 2003 the city was designated by the U.S. Congress as a "Coast Guard City," one of twenty-nine cities which currently bear that designation,[15] and was the home port for the USCGC Diligence, a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter until 2020.[16][17] On September 2, 2020, then-President Trump officially declared Wilmington as the first World War II Heritage City in the country. The World War II battleship USS North Carolina, now a war memorial, is moored across from the downtown port area, and is open to the public for tours.[18] Other attractions include the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, The Children's Museum of Wilmington,[19] and the Wilmington Hammerheads United Soccer Leagues soccer team.[20]

Wilmington is also the home of EUE/Screen Gems Studios, the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside California. "Dream Stage 10," the facility's newest sound stage, is the third-largest in the United States. It houses the largest special-effects water tank in North America. After the studio's opening in 1984, Wilmington became a major center of American film and television production. Numerous movies and television shows, in a range of genres, have been produced here, including Iron Man 3, Super Mario Bros., The Conjuring, The Crow, Sleepy Hollow, One Tree Hill, and Dawson's Creek.[21][22]

History

See also: Timeline of Wilmington, North Carolina

Colonial beginnings

 
Mitchell-Anderson House (built 1738)

The city was founded in the 1730s, and after going through a series of different names (New Carthage, New London, Newton), its name became Wilmington in 1740,[23] named after Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington.[23]

The area along the river had been inhabited by various successive cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. At the time of European encounter, historic Native Americans were members of tribes belonging to the Eastern Siouan family.[24]

The ethnic European and African history of Wilmington spans more than two and a half centuries. In the early 16th century, Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano commissioned by the king of France with a French crew was reportedly the first European to see this area, including the city's present site. The first permanent colonial settlement in the area was established in the 1720s by European settlers.[24] In September 1732, a community was founded on land owned by John Watson on the Cape Fear River, at the confluence of its northwest and northeast branches.[25] The settlement, founded by the first royal governor, George Burrington, was called "New Carthage," and then "New Liverpool;" it gradually took on the name "New Town" or "Newton".[26] Governor Gabriel Johnston soon after established his government there for the North Carolina colony. In 1739 or 1740, the town was incorporated with a new name, Wilmington, in honor of Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.[27]

Some early settlers of Wilmington came from the Albemarle and Pamlico regions, as well as from the colonies of Virginia and South Carolina, but most new settlers migrated from the Northern colonies, the West Indies, and Northern Europe.[28] Many of the early settlers were indentured servants from Northern Europe. As the indentured servants gained their freedom and fewer could be persuaded to travel to North America because of improving conditions back home, the settlers imported an increasing number of slaves to satisfy the labor demand.[26] By 1767, African slaves accounted for more than 62% of the population of the Lower Cape Fear region.[29] Many worked in the port as laborers, and some in ship-related trades.

Naval stores and lumber fueled the region's economy, both before and after the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, the British maintained a garrison at Fort Johnston near Wilmington.[30]

Revolutionary era

 
The Bellamy Mansion draws many tourists annually to downtown.

Due to Wilmington's commercial importance as a major port, it had a critical role in opposition to the British in the years leading up to the Revolution. The city had outspoken political leaders who influenced and led the resistance movement in North Carolina. The foremost of these was Wilmington resident Cornelius Harnett, who served in the General Assembly at the time, where he rallied opposition to the Sugar Act in 1764. When the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act the following year, designed to raise revenue for the Crown with a kind of tax on shipping, Wilmington was the site of an elaborate demonstration against it.[31]

On October 19, 1765, several hundred townspeople gathered in protest of the new law, burned an effigy of one town resident who favored the act, and toasted to "Liberty, Property, and No Stamp Duty." On October 31, another crowd gathered in a symbolic funeral of "Liberty". But before the effigy was buried, Liberty was found to have a pulse, and celebration ensued.[32][33]

William Houston of Duplin County was appointed stamp receiver for Cape Fear. When Houston visited Wilmington on business, still unaware of his appointment, he recounted,

"The Inhabitants immediately assembled about me & demanded a Categorical Answer whether I intended to put the Act relating [to] the Stamps in force. The Town Bell was rung[,] Drums [were] beating, Colours [were] flying and [a] great concourse of People [were] gathered together." For the sake of his own life, and "to quiet the Minds of the inraged [sic] and furious Mobb...," Houston resigned his position at the courthouse.[32][34]

Governor William Tryon made attempts to mitigate the opposition, to no avail. On November 18, 1765, he pleaded his case directly to prominent residents of the area. They said the law restricted their rights. When the stamps arrived on November 28 on the H.M. Sloop Diligence, Tryon ordered them to be kept on board. Shipping on the Cape Fear River was stopped, as were the functions of the courts.[32]

Tryon, after having received his official commission as governor (a position he had assumed only after the death of Arthur Dobbs), was brought to Wilmington by Captain Constantine Phipps on a barge from the Diligence, and "was received cordially by the gentlemen of the borough." He was greeted with the firing of seventeen pieces of artillery, and the New Hanover County Regiment of the North Carolina militia, who had lined the streets. This "warm welcome" was spoiled, however, after a dispute arose between Captain Phipps and captains of ships in the harbor regarding the display of their colors. The townspeople became infuriated with Phipps and threats were made against both sides. After Tryon harangued them for their actions, the townspeople gathered around the barrels of punch and ox he had brought as refreshments. The barrels were broken open, letting the punch spill into the streets; they threw the head of the ox into the pillory, and gave its body to the enslaved population. Because of the unrest, Tryon moved his seat of government to New Bern instead of Wilmington.[26][35]

On February 18, 1766, two merchant ships arrived without stamped papers at Brunswick Town. Each ship provided signed statements from the collectors at their respective ports of origin that there were no stamps available, but Captain Jacob Lobb of the British cruiser Viper seized the vessels. In response, numerous residents from southern counties met in Wilmington. The group organized as the Sons of Liberty and pledged to block implementation of the Stamp Act. The following day, as many as a thousand men, including the mayor and aldermen of Wilmington, were led by Cornelius Harnett to Brunswick to confront Tryon. The governor was unyielding but a mob retrieved the seized ships. They forced royal customs officers and public officials in the region to swear never to issue stamped paper.[36] The Westminster Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766

Antebellum period

 
U. S. Post Office in downtown Wilmington

In the 1830s, citizens of Wilmington became eager to take advantage of railroad transportation. At this time, the shipping tonnage registered at Wilmington was 9,035.[37] Plans were developed to build a railroad line from the capital, Raleigh, to Wilmington. When Raleigh citizens declined to subscribe in sufficient number to stock to raise money for the project, organizers changed the terminus to Weldon. When the railroad line was completed in 1840, it was the longest single line of railroad track in the world. The railroad also controlled a fleet of steamboats that ran between Wilmington and Charleston; these were used both for passenger travel and transportation of freight. Regular boat lines served Fayetteville, and packet lines traveled to northern ports. The city was a main stopover point, contributing greatly to its commerce.[26]

By mid-century, the churchyard of St. James Episcopal Church and other town cemeteries had become filled with graves. On November 16, 1853, a group of citizens, organized as "The Proprietors of the Wilmington Cemetery," was formed to develop a new cemetery. Sixty-five acres of land around Burnt Mill Creek was chosen as the site for what would be called Oakdale Cemetery. It was the first rural cemetery in North Carolina. The cemetery's first interment, on February 6, 1855, was six-year-old Annie deRosset.[38] Many remains from St. James churchyard were relocated to the new cemetery.

The Wilmington Gas Light Company was established in 1854. Soon after, street lights were powered by gas made from lightwood and rosin, replacing the old street oil lamps. On December 27, 1855, the first cornerstone was laid and construction began on a new City Hall. A grant from the Thalian Association funded the attached opera house, named Thalian Hall. In 1857 the city opened its first public school, named the "Union Free School", on 6th Street between Nun and Church streets, serving white students.[39]

Wilmington had a black majority population before the Civil War.[40] While most were slaves, the city had a significant community of free people of color, who developed businesses and trades. For a period up to Nat Turner's Rebellion, they had been allowed to vote, carry arms and serve in the militia. Fears after the rebellion resulted in the state legislature passing laws to restrict the rights of free blacks.

Civil War

 
Cannon firing at a reenactment of the Battle of Forks Road near the Cameron Art Museum in February 2009
Main article: Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Civil War

During the Civil War, the port was the major base for Confederate and privately owned blockade runners, which delivered badly needed supplies from England. The Union mounted a blockade to reduce the goods received by the South. The city was captured by Union forces in the Battle of Wilmington in February 1865, approximately one month after the fall of Fort Fisher had closed the port. As nearly all the military action took place some distance from the city, numerous antebellum houses and other buildings survived the war years.[41]

Reconstruction era and 1898 insurrection

Main article: Wilmington Insurrection of 1898
 
Wilmington in 1898

During the Reconstruction era, former free blacks and newly emancipated freedmen built a community in the city. About 55% of its residents were black people.[42][43] At the time, Wilmington was the largest city and the economic capital of the state.

Three of the city's aldermen were black. Black people were also in positions of justice of the peace, deputy clerk of court, street superintendent, coroners, policemen, mail clerks, and mail carriers.[44]

At the time, black people accounted for over 30% of Wilmington's skilled craftsmen, such as mechanics, carpenters, jewelers, watchmakers, painters, plasterers, plumbers, stevedores, blacksmiths, masons, and wheelwrights. In addition, blacks owned 10 of the city's 11 restaurants and were 90% of the city's 22 barbers. There were more black bootmakers/shoemakers than white ones, and half of the city's tailors were black. Lastly, two brothers, Alexander and Frank Manly, owned the Wilmington Daily Record, one of the few black newspapers in the state, which was reported to be the only black daily newspaper in the country.[45]

In the 1890s, a coalition of Republicans and Populists had gained state and federal offices. The Democrats were determined to reassert their control. There was increasing violence around elections in this period, as armed white paramilitary insurgents, known as Red Shirts, worked to suppress black and Republican voting. White Democrats regained control of the state legislature and sought to impose white supremacy, but some blacks continued to be elected to local offices.[46]

The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 (formerly and inaccurately called a race riot) occurred as a result of the racially charged political conflict that had occurred in the decades after the Civil War and efforts by white Democrats to reestablish white supremacy and overturn black voting. In 1898, a cadre of white Democrats, professionals and businessmen, planned to overthrow the city government if their candidates were not elected. Two days after the election, in which a white Republican was elected mayor and both white and black aldermen were elected, more than 1500 white men (led by Democrat Alfred M. Waddell, an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 1896) attacked and burned the only black daily newspaper in the state and ran off the new officers. They overthrew the legitimately elected municipal government. Waddell and his men forced the elected Republican city officials to resign at gunpoint and replaced them with men selected by leading white Democrats. Waddell was elected mayor by the newly seated board of aldermen that day. Prominent African Americans and white Republicans were banished from the city in the following days.[40] This is the only such coup d'état in United States history.[40][47]

Whites attacked and killed an estimated 10–100 blacks. No whites died in the violence. As a result of the attacks, more than 2100 blacks permanently left the city, leaving a hole among its professional and middle class. The demographic change was so large that the city became majority white, rather than the majority black it was before the white Democrats' coup.[40]

Following these events, the North Carolina legislature passed a new constitution that raised barriers to voter registration, imposing requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests that effectively disfranchised most black voters, following the example of the state of Mississippi. Blacks were essentially excluded from the political system until after the enactment of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.[40]

20th century

Wilmington is home to the Bijou theater, which began as a tent in 1904 and progressed to a permanent structure in 1906. It operated until 1956, making it the oldest movie theater in the state and one of the oldest, continuously-running theater in the country.[48] In 1910, Charlotte passed Wilmington to become North Carolina's largest city.[49] In the Mid 20th Century, efforts to preserve many historic building began. Due to this, many Historic buildings listed as National Register of Historic Places.[50] Around the '80s, the city was used for filming of many horror films like Blue Velvet in 1984 and I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997.[21] In 1990, the final extension of Interstate 40 in North Carolina was opened and officially connected Wilmington to the Interstate Highway System via Raleigh.

 
1918 panorama of downtown Wilmington
 
1918 panorama of Wilmington's waterfront

World War II

During World War II, Wilmington was the home of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company. The shipyard was created as part of the U.S. government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Workers built 243 ships in Wilmington during the five years the company operated.[51]

Three prisoner-of-war (POW) camps operated in the city from February 1944 through April 1946. At their peak, the camps held 550 German prisoners. The first camp was located on the corner of Shipyard Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road; it was moved downtown to Ann Street, between 8th and 10th avenues, when it outgrew the original location. A smaller contingent of prisoners was assigned to a third site, working in the officers' mess and doing grounds keeping at Bluethenthal Army Air Base, which is now Wilmington International Airport.[52]

21st century

During the '90s, Wilmington began to grow rapidly, partially due to the film industry and the completion of I-40.[53] The city successfully annexed the areas of Seagate in 1998 and Masonboro in 2000. The annexation of Monkey Junction was stopped in 2012 by the North Carolina House of Representatives after local backlash.[54][55][56] In 2017, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality found that the Cape Fear River had been polluted by a chemical called GenX, discharged by a Chemours plant near Fayetteville, NC. In 2020, President Donald Trump designated Wilmington to be the first WWII Heritage city in the country due to the city's contribution during the war.[57]

National Register of Historic Places

The Audubon Trolley Station, Brookwood Historic District, Carolina Heights Historic District, Carolina Place Historic District, City Hall/Thalian Hall, Delgrado School, Federal Building and Courthouse, Fort Fisher, Gabriel's Landing, William Hooper School (Former), Market Street Mansion District, Masonboro Sound Historic District, Moores Creek National Battlefield, Sunset Park Historic District, USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) National Historic Landmark, James Walker Nursing School Quarters, Westbrook-Ardmore Historic District, Wilmington Historic District, and Wilmington National Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[58]

Geography

 
Interactive map of Wilmington city limits
 
"Welcome to Wilmington" sign

Wilmington is located at 34°13′24″N 77°54′44″W / 34.22333°N 77.91222°W / 34.22333; -77.91222.[59] It is the eastern terminus of Interstate 40, an east-west freeway that ends 2,554 miles away at Barstow, California, where it joins I-15, the Gateway to Southern California. This road passes through many major cities and state capitals along the way.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.5 square miles (107 km2), of which 41.0 square miles (106 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (1.16%) is water. Wrightsville Beach is a common destination in the Wilmington area. Carolina and Kure beaches also add to the city's beach attractions.[60]

Climate

Wilmington has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with the following characteristics:

 
Cypress Trees in Greenfield Lake
  • Winters are generally mild with January highs in the mid-50s °F (~12 °C) and lows in the mid-30s °F (~1 °C). Snowfall does not occur in most years, and when it does, is generally light.
  • Spring is reasonably lengthy, beginning in late February and lasting to early May. The presence of abundant dense vegetation in the area causes significant pollen dusting in the springtime that tends to turn rooftops and cars yellow.
  • Summer brings high humidity, with daily high temperatures usually ranging from the upper 80s to lower 90s °F (31–34 °C), and daily low temperatures usually from 70 to 75 °F (~22 °C). Heat indices can easily break the 100 °F (38 °C) mark, though the actual temperature does not in most years. Due to the proximity of warm Atlantic Ocean waters and prevailing tropical-system tracks, the Wilmington area is subject to hurricane or tropical storm activity, mostly from August to early October, with an average frequency of once every seven years. Such tropical systems can bring high winds and very heavy rains, sometimes 4 inches (100 mm) or more in a single tropical system. Precipitation in Wilmington occurs year round. April is the driest month, with just over 3 inches (76 mm) of rain on average, and August and September are the wettest months, with over 8 inches (200 mm) of rain each, on average. In an average year, the July to September period delivers nearly 40% of annual rainfall.
  • Autumn is also generally humid at the beginning, with the threat from tropical weather systems (hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions) peaking in September.
  • Normal January mean temperature: 46.0 °F (7.8 °C). The coldest month in recorded history was January 1977, averaging 35.7 °F (2.1 °C). January 1981 had a colder average minimum of 25.8 °F (−3.4 °C).
  • Normal July mean temperature: 81.1 °F (27.3 °C). The hottest month in recorded history was July 2012, averaging 84.7 °F (29.3 °C). July 1993 had a hotter average maximum of 94.0 °F (34.4 °C).
  • Average nights ≤ 32 °F (0 °C): 39
  • First and last freezes of the season: November 18 and March 20, allowing a growing season of 244 days
  • Average days ≥ 90 °F (32 °C): 43, but historically as low as 9 in 1909 and as high as 71 in 1980.
  • First and last 90 °F highs: May 15, September 15
  • Highest recorded temperature: 104 °F (40 °C) on June 27, 1952[61]
  • Lowest daily maximum temperature: 16 °F (−9 °C) on February 13, 1899 and December 30, 1917[61]
  • Highest daily minimum temperature: 83 °F (28 °C) on August 1, 1999 and August 9, 2007[61]
  • Lowest recorded temperature: 0 °F (−18 °C) on December 25, 1989[61]
  • Average annual precipitation: 60.15 inches (1,530 mm), but historically ranging from 27.68 in (703 mm) in 1909 to 102.40 in (2,601 mm) in 2018,[62] aided by 23.02 inches of rain, September 13–16, from Hurricane Florence's slow movement across the Carolinas.[62][63] The 2018 annual precipitation of 102.40 inches exceeded the previous record wettest year (1877, with 83.65 inches of precipitation).[62]
  • Wettest day: 13.38 in (339.9 mm) on September 15, 1999[61]
  • Driest month: 0.16 in (4.1 mm) in April 1995[64]
  • Wettest month: 24.13 in (612.9 mm) in September 2018,[65] followed closely by 23.41 in (594.6 mm) in September 1999[64]
  • Winter average snowfall: 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) (the median amount is 0)[66]
  • Snowiest 24-hour period: 12.1 in (30.7 cm) on February 17–18, 1896[67]
  • Snowiest month: 15.3 in (38.9 cm) in December 1989, making the winter of 1989–90 the snowiest[64]
Climate data for Wilmington Int'l, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1870–present)[a]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28) 		85
(29) 		94
(34) 		95
(35) 		101
(38) 		104
(40) 		103
(39) 		103
(39) 		100
(38) 		98
(37) 		87
(31) 		82
(28) 		104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 75
(24) 		77
(25) 		82
(28) 		87
(31) 		92
(33) 		96
(36) 		97
(36) 		96
(36) 		92
(33) 		87
(31) 		81
(27) 		75
(24) 		98
(37)
Average high °F (°C) 57.2
(14.0) 		60.3
(15.7) 		66.5
(19.2) 		74.6
(23.7) 		81.1
(27.3) 		87.0
(30.6) 		90.0
(32.2) 		88.3
(31.3) 		83.9
(28.8) 		76.1
(24.5) 		67.4
(19.7) 		60.3
(15.7) 		74.4
(23.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 46.8
(8.2) 		49.3
(9.6) 		55.3
(12.9) 		63.6
(17.6) 		71.1
(21.7) 		78.2
(25.7) 		81.5
(27.5) 		80.0
(26.7) 		75.3
(24.1) 		65.9
(18.8) 		56.1
(13.4) 		49.7
(9.8) 		64.4
(18.0)
Average low °F (°C) 36.3
(2.4) 		38.4
(3.6) 		44.1
(6.7) 		52.6
(11.4) 		61.1
(16.2) 		69.3
(20.7) 		73.0
(22.8) 		71.7
(22.1) 		66.7
(19.3) 		55.6
(13.1) 		44.8
(7.1) 		39.1
(3.9) 		54.4
(12.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 19
(−7) 		23
(−5) 		28
(−2) 		36
(2) 		47
(8) 		58
(14) 		65
(18) 		64
(18) 		55
(13) 		40
(4) 		29
(−2) 		24
(−4) 		18
(−8)
Record low °F (°C) 5
(−15) 		5
(−15) 		9
(−13) 		28
(−2) 		35
(2) 		48
(9) 		54
(12) 		55
(13) 		42
(6) 		27
(−3) 		16
(−9) 		0
(−18) 		0
(−18)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.81
(97) 		3.47
(88) 		3.97
(101) 		3.07
(78) 		4.54
(115) 		5.67
(144) 		6.86
(174) 		8.16
(207) 		8.69
(221) 		4.66
(118) 		3.56
(90) 		3.69
(94) 		60.15
(1,528)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.7
(1.8) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.9
(2.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.9 9.5 9.6 7.7 9.6 11.2 13.2 13.9 10.7 8.0 8.5 9.9 121.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.7
Average relative humidity (%) 70.7 68.4 69.1 66.8 73.7 76.3 78.3 80.7 79.9 75.9 73.2 71.5 73.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 181.5 182.1 238.0 276.3 285.3 280.1 280.7 254.3 230.0 229.3 197.4 181.1 2,816.1
Percent possible sunshine 58 59 64 71 66 65 64 61 62 65 63 59 63
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)[64][68][69]

Cityscape

 
Wilmington theater and banking area
 
Downtown north
 
Thermo-Fisher building in Northern downtown Wilmington

Wilmington boasts a large historic district encompassing nearly 300 blocks. Abandoned warehouses on downtown's northern end have been recently demolished making room for multimillion dollar projects, such as what was the World Headquarters of Pharmaceutical Product Development (now Thermo Fisher Scientific) and tallest building in Wilmington at 228 feet, a state-of-the-art convention center, Live Oak Bank Pavilion, Pier 33 Apartments, and The Strands houseboat community in Port City Marina.

Downtown/Old Wilmington

Downtown Monuments and Historic Buildings
The George Davis Monument (Removed)
The Confederate Memorial (Removed)
The Bellamy Mansion
Cotton Exchange of Wilmington
The Temple of Israel
The Murchison Building

Crime

Wilmington
Crime rates* (2017)
Violent crimes
Homicide20
Rape23
Robbery261
Aggravated assault326
Total violent crime618
Property crimes
Burglary1,694
Larceny-theft3,843
Motor vehicle theft373
Arson9
Total property crime5,910
Notes

*Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.

2012 population: 109,370

Source: 2012 FBI UCR Data

Between 2006 and 2008, crime rates, as reported through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports, decreased in 6 of the 8 reported categories.

Year Murder Rape Robbery Assault Burglary Larceny MVT Arson
2006 7.4 65.4 431.5 398.8 1,787.0 4,078.2 682.5 23.2
2007 10.4 60.3 358.9 424.4 1,703.8 3,761.2 667.8 16.6
2008 12.2 49.8 324.2 404.5 1,489.0 3,511.5 535.6 15.2

Wilmington has an increasing problem with gang violence[70] and on October 15, 2013, the WPD and NHC sheriff's department created a joint task force to combat gang violence.[71] Just a day later the city council approved $142,000 in funding for a gang investigative unit.[72]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18001,689—
18202,633—
18303,79144.0%
18405,33540.7%
18507,26436.2%
18609,55231.5%
187013,44640.8%
188017,35029.0%
189020,05615.6%
190020,9764.6%
191025,74822.7%
192033,37229.6%
193032,270−3.3%
194033,4073.5%
195045,04334.8%
196044,013−2.3%
197046,1694.9%
198044,000−4.7%
199055,53026.2%
200075,83836.6%
2010106,47640.4%
2020115,4518.4%
2021 (est.)117,643[73]1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[74]
2020[75]

2020 census

Wilmington racial composition[76]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 79,791 71.7%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 18,828 18.4%
Native American 317 0.27%
Asian 1,826 1.58%
Pacific Islander 98 0.08%
Other/Mixed 5,047 4.37%
Hispanic or Latino 9,544 8.27%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 115,451 people, 54,673 households, and 27,131 families residing in the city.

2013

According to 2013 census estimates,[77] there were 112,067 people and 47,003 households in the city. The population density was 2,067.8 people per square mile (714.2/km2)and there were 53,400 housing units. The racial composition of the city was: 73.5% White, 19.9% Black or African American, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino American, 1.2% Asian American, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

There were 34,359 households, out of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.5% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 17.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,099, and the median income for a family was $41,891. Males had a median income of $30,803 versus $23,423 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,503. About 13.3% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

 
Across from the Bellamy Mansion is the First Baptist Church, established in 1808.
 
Grace United Methodist Church, established in 1797

Less than half of Wilmington's population is religiously affiliated (47.30%), with the majority of practitioners being Christian. The two largest Christian denominations in Wilmington are Protestant: Baptists (14.66%) and Methodists (8.29%), followed by Roman Catholics (7.42%). There are also a significant number of Presbyterians (3.19%), Episcopalians (2.30%), Pentecostals (1.45%), and Lutherans (1.32%). Other Christian denominations make up 7.02%, and the Latter-Day Saints have 0.90%. Much smaller is the proportion of residents who follow Islam (0.46%), and Judaism (0.25%). A small percentage of people practice Eastern religions (0.04%).[78]

Wilmington has significant historical religious buildings, such as the Basilica Shrine of St. Mary and the Temple of Israel.

Transportation

Airport

Main article: Wilmington International Airport

The Wilmington International Airport (ILM) serves the area with commercial air service provided by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Avelo Airlines. American Airlines carries a large share of the airport's traffic, and therefore flies the largest of the aircraft in and out of the airport. The airport serves over 930,000 travelers per year.[79][80][81] The airport is also home to two fixed-base operations (FBOs) that currently house over 100 private aircraft. The airport maintains a separate International Terminal providing a full service Federal Inspection Station to clear international flights. This includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Immigration. The airport is 4 miles from downtown and is served by Wave Transit buses.

Interstate highways

 
Barstow, California, distance sign, originally seen from I-40 in Wilmington

U.S. Routes

 
The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge (foreground) carries US 17 Business, US 76 and US 421 across the Cape Fear River

North Carolina state highways

Alternative transportation options

Public transit in the area is provided by the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority,[82] which operates fixed bus routes, shuttles, and a free downtown trolley under the brand name Wave Transit. A daily intercity bus service to Raleigh is provided by Greyhound Lines. Wilmington is also served by Amtrak Thruway bus connections to Wilson, North Carolina where connections can be made with Amtrak's Carolinian and Palmetto. The city's Union Station last had passenger train service in 1968 with the Seaboard Coast Line's predecessor version of the Palmetto. The Seaboard Air Line's station last had service in 1958, with a daily train to Charlotte via Hamlet.[83][84]

The NCDOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 600 km brevet route.[85]

The City of Wilmington offers transient docking facilities[86] in the center of Downtown Wilmington along the Cape Fear River approximately 12.5 miles (20 km) from the Intracoastal Waterway. The river depth in the run up from the ICW is in excess of 40 feet (12 m). Taxicab services are available from several vendors, however, the City's Taxi Commission keeps meter rates artificially low. In 2021, regulations were eased to help the taxi industry compete with other companies like Uber and Lyft.[87]

The Gary Shell Cross-City Trail is primarily a multi-use trail that provides bicycle and pedestrian access to numerous recreational, cultural and educational destinations in Wilmington. The Gary Shell Cross-City Trail provides bicycle and pedestrian connection from Wade Park, Halyburton Park and Empie Park to the Heide-Trask Drawbridge at the Intracoastal Waterway.[88] It also connects to the River to Sea Bikeway and the under-construction Central College Trail and Greenville Loop Trail.


Economy

 
The State Port of Wilmington
 
Wilmington City Hall, with movie crews filming in July 2012
 
The Graystone Inn, a bed and breakfast with colonial architecture, is located in downtown Wilmington

Wilmington's industrial base includes electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment; clothing and apparel; food processing; paper products; nuclear fuel; and pharmaceuticals. Wilmington is part of North Carolina's Research coast, adjacent to the Research Triangle Park in Durham, NC.[89]

Also important to Wilmington's economy is tourism due to its close proximity to the ocean and vibrant nightlife.

Located on the Cape Fear River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, Wilmington is a sizable seaport, including private marine terminals and the North Carolina State Ports Authority's Port of Wilmington.[90]

Wilmington is home to the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, the oldest Chamber in North Carolina, organized in 1853.[91] Companies with their headquarters in Wilmington include Live Oak Bank and HomeInsurance.com.

Top employers

See also: Category:Companies based in Wilmington, North Carolina

According to the City's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:[92]

# Employer Employees
1 New Hanover Health Network 5,991
2 New Hanover County Schools 3,645
3 General Electric 2,195
4 University of North Carolina Wilmington 1,844
5 New Hanover County 1,563
6 Pharmaceutical Product Development 1,464
7 Verizon Wireless 1,216
8 Cape Fear Community College 1,176
9 Corning 1,000
10 City of Wilmington 995

Government

Wilmington adopted a council–manager form of government in 1941.[93]

Mayor

List of mayors of Wilmington, North Carolina

Education

Universities and colleges

 
Iconic arches on the campus of University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW)

Schools

Public schools in Wilmington are operated by the New Hanover County School System.

High schools

Middle schools

Elementary schools

  • Masonboro Elementary School
  • Alderman
  • Anderson
  • Bellamy
  • Blair
  • Bradley Creek
  • Castle Hayne
  • Codington
  • College Park
  • Eaton
  • Forest Hills
  • Freeman School of Engineering
  • Gregory School of Science, Mathematics, and Technology
  • Holly Tree
  • Lake Forest Academy
  • Mary C. Williams
  • Murrayville
  • New Horizons Elementary School (private)
  • Ogden
  • Pine Valley Elementary School
  • Snipes Academy of Arts and Design
  • Sunset Park
  • Winter Park
  • Wrightsboro
  • Wrightsville Beach
  • Friends School of Wilmington
  • St. Mark Catholic School (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Academies and alternate schools

Healthcare

New Hanover Regional Medical Center is a hospital in Wilmington. It was established in 1967 as a public hospital, and it was the first hospital in the city to admit patients of all races.[147] It was operated by New Hanover County.[148] In February 2021 Novant Health, a nonprofit private organization, acquired the hospital.[149]

Culture

Performing arts

The city supports a very active calendar with its showcase theater, Thalian Hall, hosting about 250 events annually. The complex has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1858 and houses three performance venues, the Main Stage, the Grand Ballroom, and the Studio Theater.[150]

The Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center,[151] 120 S. Second Street in historic downtown Wilmington, is a multiuse facility owned by the City of Wilmington and managed by the Thalian Association,[152] the Official Community Theater of North Carolina.[153] Here, five studios are available to nonprofit organizations for theatrical performances, rehearsals, musicals, recitals and art classes. For more than half a century, the Hannah Block Historic USO Building has facilitated the coming together of generations, providing children with programs that challenge them creatively, and enhance the quality of life for residents throughout the region.

The Hannah Block Second Street Stage is home to the Thalian Association Children's Theater.[154] It is one of the main attractions at the Hannah Block Community Arts Center. The theater seats 200 and is used as a performance venue by community theater groups and other entertainment productions.

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington College of Arts and Science departments of Theatre, Music and Art share a state-of-the-art, $34 million Cultural Arts Building, which opened in December 2006. The production area consists of a music recital hall, art gallery, and two theaters. Sponsored events include 4 theater productions a year.[155]

The Brooklyn Arts Center at St. Andrews is a 125-year-old building on the corner of North 4th and Campbell St in downtown Wilmington. The Brooklyn Arts Center at Saint Andrews (BAC) is on the National Register of Historic Places. The BAC is used for weddings, concerts, fundraisers, art shows, vintage flea markets, and other community-driven events.[156]

Wilmington is home to the Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts, a studio for foundlings. The Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts is the only studio in the region to offer Progressing Ballet Technique™[157] instruction from two certified instructors. The Conservatory is also host to Turning Pointe Dance Company, a faith-based dance company, which performs artistic pieces such as "Pinocchio" for the Wilmington Community.[158]

Film

 
EUE / Screen Gems Studios near Wilmington
Main article: Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington is home to EUE/Screen Gems Studios. Its prominent place in the cinema throughout the '80s and the '90s earned the city the moniker "Hollywood East". Popular television series like Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Sleepy Hollow, SIX,[159] Good Behavior, Eastbound and Down and Under The Dome[160] were filmed at the studio and on location throughout the city. Movies shot in Wilmington include Maximum Overdrive (1986), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Year of the Dragon (1985), Blue Velvet (1986), King Kong Lives (1986), Hiding Out (1987), Raw Deal (1986), Track 29 (1988), Weeds (1987), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), The Crow (1994), Silver Bullet (1985), Firestarter (1984),[161] Iron Man 3,[162] A Walk to Remember, We're the Millers, The Longest Ride and The Choice.[163] Actor Brandon Lee was killed in an accidental shooting during the filming of The Crow.[164]

Since 1995, Wilmington hosts an annual, nationally recognized, independent film festival called "Cucalorus."[165] It is the keystone event of The Cucalorus Film Foundation, a non-profit organization. The Foundation also sponsors weekly screenings, several short documentary projects, and the annual Kids Festival, with hands on film-making workshops.

The Cape Fear Independent Film Network also hosts a film festival annually, and the Wilmington Jewish Film Festival also takes place yearly.[166] For several years Wilmington was also the location of fan conventions for One Tree Hill, reuniting the cast and drawing tourists to the city.[167]

In 2014, Governor Pat McCrory decided not to renew the film incentives, which ended up taking a massive toll on not just Wilmington's but North Carolina's entire film industry.[168] As a result, most productions and film businesses moved to Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2017, there have been attempts to bring the industry back to North Carolina via the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant. This grant designates $31 million per fiscal year (Jul 1 – Jun 30) in film incentives.[169]

Literature

Birthplace of Johnson Jones Hooper (1815–1862), Author of the Simon Suggs Series.

Birthplace of Robert Ruark (1915–1965)

Now rare, an early edition of the Scottish poet Robert Burns's "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" was printed by Bonsal and Niles of Market Street, Baltimore in 1804.

Music

Chamber Music Wilmington was founded in 1995 and presents its four-concert "Simply Classical" series every season. The concerts are performed by world-class chamber musicians and are held at UNCW's Beckwith Recital Hall.

The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra was established in 1971 and offers throughout the year a series of five classical performances, and a Free Family Concert.[170] Wilmington is also home to numerous music festivals.

One of the largest DIY festivals, the Wilmington Exchange Festival, occurs over a period of 5 days around Memorial Day each year. It is currently in its 13th year.[171]

Celebrating its 37th year, February 2 thru 4, 2017, the North Carolina Jazz Festival is a three-day traditional jazz festival that features world-renowned jazz musicians.[172]

The Cape Fear Blues Society is a driving force behind blues music in Wilmington. The organization manages, staffs and sponsors weekly Cape Fear Blues Jams and the annual Cape Fear Blues Challenge talent competition (winners travel to Memphis TN for the International Blues Challenge). Its largest endeavor is the Cape Fear Blues Festival, an annual celebration that showcases local, regional and national touring blues artists performing at a variety of events and venues, including the Cape Fear Blues Cruise, Blues Workshops, an All-Day Blues Jam, and numerous live club shows. Membership in the CFBS is open to listeners and musicians alike.[173]

Museums and historic areas

 
The USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, seen from downtown Wilmington across the Cape Fear River
 
The Railroad Museum is located behind the Hilton Hotel.
 
The battleship USS North Carolina from the Wilmington Riverwalk

The Second and Orange Street USO Club was erected by the Army Corps of Engineers at a cost of $80,000. Along with an identical structure on Nixon Street for African-American servicemen, it opened in December 1941, the same month that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. From 1941 to 1945, the USO hosted 35,000 uniformed visitors a week. Recently renovated with sensitivity to its historic character, the Hannah Block Historic USO (HBHUSO) lobby serves as a museum where World War II memorabilia and other artifacts are displayed. The building itself was rededicated in Ms. Block's name in 2006 and restored to its 1943 wartime character in 2008. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition,[179] an all volunteer 501(c)(3) preservation organization, is the de facto preservationist of the building's history and maintains the home front museum.

Festivals

Wilmington is host to many annual festivals, including, most notably, the Azalea Festival. The Azalea Festival, sponsored by the Cape Fear Garden Club, features a garden tour, historic home tour, garden party, musical performances, a parade, and a fireworks show. It takes places every year in April.[180]

Media

See also: List of newspapers in North Carolina, List of radio stations in North Carolina, and List of television stations in North Carolina

Newspapers

The Star-News is Wilmington's daily newspaper; read widely throughout the Lower Cape Fear region and now owned by Gannett, following its merger with the Star's previous owner, GateHouse Media.[181] A daily online newspaper, Port City Daily (portcitydaily.com), is owned by Local Voice Media. Two historically black newspapers are distributed and published weekly: The Wilmington Journal and The Challenger Newspapers. Encore Magazine is a weekly arts and entertainment publication.

Broadcast radio

AM

  • 630 AM WMFD – Sports ("ESPN Radio, AM 630")
  • 1340 AM WLSG – Regional Mexican ("La Raza 94.1")

FM

  • 89.7 FM WDVV – Worship & Praise Music ("The Dove, 89.7")
  • 90.5 FM WWIL-FM – Christian Music ("Life 90.5")
  • 91.3 FM WHQR – Public Radio
  • 93.1 FM WBPL-LP – Wilmington Catholic Radio
  • 94.1 FM W231CL Regional Mexican ("La Raza 94.1") (WLSG translator)
  • 95.5 FM W238AV – Contemporary Christian ("K-LOVE")
  • 95.9 FM W240AS – Soft AC ("95.9 The Breeze") (WKXB translator)
  • 97.3 FM WMNX – Hip Hop/R & B ("Coast 97.3")
  • 100.5 FM W263BA – Contemporary Christian ("K-LOVE")
  • 101.3 FM WWQQ-FM- Country ("Double Q, 101")
  • 102.7 FM WGNI – Hot AC ("102.7 GNI")
  • 104.5 FM WYHW – Christian Talk ("104.5")

Television

The Wilmington television market is ranked 130 in the United States, and is the smallest DMA in North Carolina. The broadcast stations are as follows:

Cable news station News 14 Carolina also maintains its coastal bureau in Wilmington.

On September 8, 2008, at noon, WWAY, WECT, WSFX, WILM-LP and W51CW all turned off their analog signals, making Wilmington the first market in the nation to go digital-only as part of a test by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to iron out transition and reception concerns before the nationwide shutoff. Wilmington was chosen as the test market because the area's digital channel positions will remain unchanged after the transition.[182] As the area's official conduit of emergency information, WUNJ did not participate in the early analog switchoff, and kept their analog signal on until the national digital switchover date of June 12, 2009.[183] W47CK did not participate due to its low-power status; FCC rules currently exempt low-powered stations from the 2009 analog shutdown.[184] WILM-LP and W51CW chose to participate, even though they are exempt as LPTV stations.[185]

Despite Tropical Storm Hanna making landfall southwest of Wilmington two days before (September 6), the switchover continued as scheduled. The ceremony was marked by governmental and television representatives flipping a large switch (marked with the slogan "First in Flight, First in Digital") from analog to digital.[186]

é

Sports

Club League Venue Founded Titles
Wilmington Sharks CPL, Baseball Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium 1997 2
Wilmington Hammerheads USL, Soccer Legion Stadium 1996 1
Wilmington Sea Dawgs TRBL, Basketball Wilmington YMCA 2006 0

The Wilmington Sharks are a Coastal Plain League (CPL) baseball team in Wilmington that was founded in 1997 and was among the charter organizations when the CPL was formed that same year. The roster is made up of top collegiate baseball players fine-tuning their skills using wood bats to prepare for professional baseball. Their stadium is located at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium.

The Wilmington Sea Dawgs are a Tobacco Road Basketball League (TRBL) team that began its inaugural season with the American Basketball Association (ABA) in November 2006 and have also played in the Premier Basketball League, and the Continental Basketball League.

The Wilmington Hammerheads are a professional soccer team based in Wilmington. They were founded in 1996 and played in the United Soccer Leagues Second Division. Their stadium was the Legion Stadium. After the 2009 season, the USL discontinued their relationship with the franchise owner Chuck Sullivan. The Hammerheads franchise returned in 2011.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington sponsors 19 intercollegiate sports and has held Division 1 membership in the NCAA since 1977. UNCW competes in the Colonial Athletic Association and has been a member since 1984.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is also home to the Seamen Ultimate Frisbee team. The team won the National Championship in 1993 and most recently qualified for the USA Ultimate College Nationals tournament in 2014

The Cape Fear Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby club playing in USA Rugby South Division II. They were founded in 1974 and hosts the annual Cape Fear Sevens Tournament held over July 4 weekend; hosting teams from all over the world. They own their own rugby pitch located at 21st and Chestnut St.[187]

Off and on, from 1900 to 2001, Wilmington has been home to a professional minor league baseball team. The Wilmington Pirates, a Cincinnati Reds farm team, were one of the top clubs in the Tobacco State League from 1946–50.[188] Most recently the Wilmington Waves, a Class A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, played in the South Atlantic League. Former All Star catcher Jason Varitek played for Wilmington's Port City Roosters in 1995 and 1996. In 1914 the Philadelphia Phillies held spring training in Wilmington.[189]

The beach near Wilmington, NC is home to the annual O’Neil/Sweetwater Pro-Am and Music Festival, the second largest surfing contest on the East Coast.[190]

Shopping complexes

Points of interest

Notable people

Art and literature

Government and politics

Media and entertainment

Military

Sportspeople

Other notables

Sister cities

Wilmington is a sister city with the following cities:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Official snowfall records for Wilmington were kept at the Weather Bureau in downtown from December 1870 to September 1951, and at Wilmington Int'l since October 1951. Precipitation, minimum temperature, and maximum temperature records date to 1 January 1871, 1 March 1873, and 1 April 1874 respectively.[64] For more information, see ThreadEx.

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Further reading

See also: Bibliography of the history of Wilmington, North Carolina
  • Wilmington Directory. 1860, 1865, 1867, 1871, 1879, 1889, 1900, 1911

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilmington, North Carolina.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Wilmington.
  • Official website of Wilmington, NC
  • "Wilmington, the principal seaport and largest city of North Carolina" . The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
  • "Wilmington, N. C." . The New Student's Reference Work . 1914.

January 17, 2023
wilmington, north, carolina, wilmington, port, city, county, seat, hanover, county, coastal, southeastern, north, carolina, united, states, cityclockwise, from, left, north, carolina, cape, fear, memorial, bridge, downtown, wilmington, cape, fear, river, hogga. Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina United States Wilmington North CarolinaCityClockwise from top left USS North Carolina the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Downtown Wilmington on the Cape Fear River and Hoggard Hall on the campus of UNC WilmingtonFlagSealLogoNickname s The Port City ILM Hollywood of the East Wilmywood 1 Location within New Hanover CountyWilmingtonLocation within North CarolinaShow map of North CarolinaWilmingtonLocation within the United StatesShow map of the United StatesCoordinates 34 13 24 N 77 54 44 W 34 22333 N 77 91222 W 34 22333 77 91222 Coordinates 34 13 24 N 77 54 44 W 34 22333 N 77 91222 W 34 22333 77 91222CountryUnited StatesStateNorth CarolinaCountyNew HanoverIncorporatedFebruary 20 1739Named forSpencer Compton 1st Earl of WilmingtonGovernment TypeCouncil manager MayorBill Saffo 2 D Area 3 City52 97 sq mi 137 19 km2 Land51 41 sq mi 133 14 km2 Water1 56 sq mi 4 05 km2 Elevation 5 36 ft 11 m Population 2020 City115 451 Rank241st in the United States8th in North Carolina Density2 245 91 sq mi 867 15 km2 Urban255 329 US 159th 4 Urban density1 795 0 sq mi 693 1 km2 Metro282 573 US 167th Time zoneUTC 5 Eastern EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT ZIP codes28401 28412Area code910FIPS code37 74440GNIS feature ID1023269 5 Primary AirportWilmington International AirportWebsitewww wbr wilmingtonnc wbr govWith a population of 115 451 at the 2020 census it is the eighth most populous city in the state Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area a metropolitan area that includes New Hanover and Pender counties in southeastern North Carolina 6 which had a population of 301 284 at the 2020 census 7 Its historic downtown has a 1 75 mile 2 82 km Riverwalk 8 developed as a tourist attraction in the late 20th century In 2014 Wilmington s riverfront was ranked as the Best American Riverfront by readers of USA Today 9 The National Trust for Historic Preservation selected Wilmington as one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations 10 City residents live between the Cape Fear river and the Atlantic ocean with four nearby beach communities just outside Wilmington Fort Fisher Wrightsville Beach Carolina Beach and Kure Beach all within half hour drives from downtown Wilmington The city is home to University of North Carolina Wilmington UNCW which provides a wide variety of programs for undergraduates graduate students and adult learners in addition to cultural and sports events open to the community 11 Toward the end of the 19th century Wilmington was a majority black racially integrated prosperous city and the largest city in North Carolina In the Wilmington massacre of 1898 white supremacists launched a coup that overthrew the legitimately elected local Fusionist government 12 They expelled opposition black and white leaders from the city 12 destroyed the property and businesses of black citizens built up since the Civil War including the only black newspaper in the city and killed an estimated 60 to more than 300 people 13 This coincided with broader efforts of disenfranchisement at the state level Whereas North Carolina had 125 000 registered black voters in 1896 it had 6 000 black voters by 1902 14 By 1910 Charlotte overtook Wilmington as North Carolina s largest city In 2003 the city was designated by the U S Congress as a Coast Guard City one of twenty nine cities which currently bear that designation 15 and was the home port for the USCGC Diligence a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter until 2020 16 17 On September 2 2020 then President Trump officially declared Wilmington as the first World War II Heritage City in the country The World War II battleship USS North Carolina now a war memorial is moored across from the downtown port area and is open to the public for tours 18 Other attractions include the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science The Children s Museum of Wilmington 19 and the Wilmington Hammerheads United Soccer Leagues soccer team 20 Wilmington is also the home of EUE Screen Gems Studios the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside California Dream Stage 10 the facility s newest sound stage is the third largest in the United States It houses the largest special effects water tank in North America After the studio s opening in 1984 Wilmington became a major center of American film and television production Numerous movies and television shows in a range of genres have been produced here including Iron Man 3 Super Mario Bros The Conjuring The Crow Sleepy Hollow One Tree Hill and Dawson s Creek 21 22 Contents 1 History 1 1 Colonial beginnings 1 2 Revolutionary era 1 3 Antebellum period 1 4 Civil War 1 5 Reconstruction era and 1898 insurrection 1 6 20th century 1 7 World War II 1 8 21st century 1 9 National Register of Historic Places 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 3 Cityscape 4 Crime 5 Demographics 5 1 2020 census 5 2 2013 5 3 Religion 6 Transportation 6 1 Airport 6 2 Interstate highways 6 3 U S Routes 6 4 North Carolina state highways 6 5 Alternative transportation options 7 Economy 7 1 Top employers 8 Government 8 1 Mayor 9 Education 9 1 Universities and colleges 9 2 Schools 9 2 1 High schools 9 2 2 Middle schools 9 2 3 Elementary schools 9 2 4 Academies and alternate schools 10 Healthcare 11 Culture 11 1 Performing arts 11 2 Film 11 3 Literature 11 4 Music 11 5 Museums and historic areas 11 6 Festivals 12 Media 12 1 Newspapers 12 2 Broadcast radio 12 2 1 AM 12 2 2 FM 12 3 Television 13 Sports 14 Shopping complexes 15 Points of interest 16 Notable people 16 1 Art and literature 16 2 Government and politics 16 3 Media and entertainment 16 4 Military 16 5 Sportspeople 16 6 Other notables 17 Sister cities 18 See also 19 Notes 20 References 21 Further reading 22 External linksHistory EditSee also Timeline of Wilmington North Carolina Colonial beginnings Edit Mitchell Anderson House built 1738 The city was founded in the 1730s and after going through a series of different names New Carthage New London Newton its name became Wilmington in 1740 23 named after Spencer Compton 1st Earl of Wilmington 23 The area along the river had been inhabited by various successive cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years At the time of European encounter historic Native Americans were members of tribes belonging to the Eastern Siouan family 24 The ethnic European and African history of Wilmington spans more than two and a half centuries In the early 16th century Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano commissioned by the king of France with a French crew was reportedly the first European to see this area including the city s present site The first permanent colonial settlement in the area was established in the 1720s by European settlers 24 In September 1732 a community was founded on land owned by John Watson on the Cape Fear River at the confluence of its northwest and northeast branches 25 The settlement founded by the first royal governor George Burrington was called New Carthage and then New Liverpool it gradually took on the name New Town or Newton 26 Governor Gabriel Johnston soon after established his government there for the North Carolina colony In 1739 or 1740 the town was incorporated with a new name Wilmington in honor of Spencer Compton Earl of Wilmington 27 Some early settlers of Wilmington came from the Albemarle and Pamlico regions as well as from the colonies of Virginia and South Carolina but most new settlers migrated from the Northern colonies the West Indies and Northern Europe 28 Many of the early settlers were indentured servants from Northern Europe As the indentured servants gained their freedom and fewer could be persuaded to travel to North America because of improving conditions back home the settlers imported an increasing number of slaves to satisfy the labor demand 26 By 1767 African slaves accounted for more than 62 of the population of the Lower Cape Fear region 29 Many worked in the port as laborers and some in ship related trades Naval stores and lumber fueled the region s economy both before and after the American Revolution During the Revolutionary War the British maintained a garrison at Fort Johnston near Wilmington 30 Revolutionary era Edit The Bellamy Mansion draws many tourists annually to downtown U S Courthouse the backdrop of Andy Griffith s Matlock television series Due to Wilmington s commercial importance as a major port it had a critical role in opposition to the British in the years leading up to the Revolution The city had outspoken political leaders who influenced and led the resistance movement in North Carolina The foremost of these was Wilmington resident Cornelius Harnett who served in the General Assembly at the time where he rallied opposition to the Sugar Act in 1764 When the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act the following year designed to raise revenue for the Crown with a kind of tax on shipping Wilmington was the site of an elaborate demonstration against it 31 On October 19 1765 several hundred townspeople gathered in protest of the new law burned an effigy of one town resident who favored the act and toasted to Liberty Property and No Stamp Duty On October 31 another crowd gathered in a symbolic funeral of Liberty But before the effigy was buried Liberty was found to have a pulse and celebration ensued 32 33 William Houston of Duplin County was appointed stamp receiver for Cape Fear When Houston visited Wilmington on business still unaware of his appointment he recounted The Inhabitants immediately assembled about me amp demanded a Categorical Answer whether I intended to put the Act relating to the Stamps in force The Town Bell was rung Drums were beating Colours were flying and a great concourse of People were gathered together For the sake of his own life and to quiet the Minds of the inraged sic and furious Mobb Houston resigned his position at the courthouse 32 34 Governor William Tryon made attempts to mitigate the opposition to no avail On November 18 1765 he pleaded his case directly to prominent residents of the area They said the law restricted their rights When the stamps arrived on November 28 on the H M Sloop Diligence Tryon ordered them to be kept on board Shipping on the Cape Fear River was stopped as were the functions of the courts 32 Tryon after having received his official commission as governor a position he had assumed only after the death of Arthur Dobbs was brought to Wilmington by Captain Constantine Phipps on a barge from the Diligence and was received cordially by the gentlemen of the borough He was greeted with the firing of seventeen pieces of artillery and the New Hanover County Regiment of the North Carolina militia who had lined the streets This warm welcome was spoiled however after a dispute arose between Captain Phipps and captains of ships in the harbor regarding the display of their colors The townspeople became infuriated with Phipps and threats were made against both sides After Tryon harangued them for their actions the townspeople gathered around the barrels of punch and ox he had brought as refreshments The barrels were broken open letting the punch spill into the streets they threw the head of the ox into the pillory and gave its body to the enslaved population Because of the unrest Tryon moved his seat of government to New Bern instead of Wilmington 26 35 On February 18 1766 two merchant ships arrived without stamped papers at Brunswick Town Each ship provided signed statements from the collectors at their respective ports of origin that there were no stamps available but Captain Jacob Lobb of the British cruiser Viper seized the vessels In response numerous residents from southern counties met in Wilmington The group organized as the Sons of Liberty and pledged to block implementation of the Stamp Act The following day as many as a thousand men including the mayor and aldermen of Wilmington were led by Cornelius Harnett to Brunswick to confront Tryon The governor was unyielding but a mob retrieved the seized ships They forced royal customs officers and public officials in the region to swear never to issue stamped paper 36 The Westminster Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766 Antebellum period Edit U S Post Office in downtown Wilmington In the 1830s citizens of Wilmington became eager to take advantage of railroad transportation At this time the shipping tonnage registered at Wilmington was 9 035 37 Plans were developed to build a railroad line from the capital Raleigh to Wilmington When Raleigh citizens declined to subscribe in sufficient number to stock to raise money for the project organizers changed the terminus to Weldon When the railroad line was completed in 1840 it was the longest single line of railroad track in the world The railroad also controlled a fleet of steamboats that ran between Wilmington and Charleston these were used both for passenger travel and transportation of freight Regular boat lines served Fayetteville and packet lines traveled to northern ports The city was a main stopover point contributing greatly to its commerce 26 By mid century the churchyard of St James Episcopal Church and other town cemeteries had become filled with graves On November 16 1853 a group of citizens organized as The Proprietors of the Wilmington Cemetery was formed to develop a new cemetery Sixty five acres of land around Burnt Mill Creek was chosen as the site for what would be called Oakdale Cemetery It was the first rural cemetery in North Carolina The cemetery s first interment on February 6 1855 was six year old Annie deRosset 38 Many remains from St James churchyard were relocated to the new cemetery The Wilmington Gas Light Company was established in 1854 Soon after street lights were powered by gas made from lightwood and rosin replacing the old street oil lamps On December 27 1855 the first cornerstone was laid and construction began on a new City Hall A grant from the Thalian Association funded the attached opera house named Thalian Hall In 1857 the city opened its first public school named the Union Free School on 6th Street between Nun and Church streets serving white students 39 Wilmington had a black majority population before the Civil War 40 While most were slaves the city had a significant community of free people of color who developed businesses and trades For a period up to Nat Turner s Rebellion they had been allowed to vote carry arms and serve in the militia Fears after the rebellion resulted in the state legislature passing laws to restrict the rights of free blacks Civil War Edit Cannon firing at a reenactment of the Battle of Forks Road near the Cameron Art Museum in February 2009 Main article Wilmington North Carolina in the Civil War Wilmington National Cemetery has markers dating to the American Revolution and the American Civil War During the Civil War the port was the major base for Confederate and privately owned blockade runners which delivered badly needed supplies from England The Union mounted a blockade to reduce the goods received by the South The city was captured by Union forces in the Battle of Wilmington in February 1865 approximately one month after the fall of Fort Fisher had closed the port As nearly all the military action took place some distance from the city numerous antebellum houses and other buildings survived the war years 41 Reconstruction era and 1898 insurrection Edit Main article Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 Wilmington in 1898 During the Reconstruction era former free blacks and newly emancipated freedmen built a community in the city About 55 of its residents were black people 42 43 At the time Wilmington was the largest city and the economic capital of the state Three of the city s aldermen were black Black people were also in positions of justice of the peace deputy clerk of court street superintendent coroners policemen mail clerks and mail carriers 44 At the time black people accounted for over 30 of Wilmington s skilled craftsmen such as mechanics carpenters jewelers watchmakers painters plasterers plumbers stevedores blacksmiths masons and wheelwrights In addition blacks owned 10 of the city s 11 restaurants and were 90 of the city s 22 barbers There were more black bootmakers shoemakers than white ones and half of the city s tailors were black Lastly two brothers Alexander and Frank Manly owned the Wilmington Daily Record one of the few black newspapers in the state which was reported to be the only black daily newspaper in the country 45 In the 1890s a coalition of Republicans and Populists had gained state and federal offices The Democrats were determined to reassert their control There was increasing violence around elections in this period as armed white paramilitary insurgents known as Red Shirts worked to suppress black and Republican voting White Democrats regained control of the state legislature and sought to impose white supremacy but some blacks continued to be elected to local offices 46 The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 formerly and inaccurately called a race riot occurred as a result of the racially charged political conflict that had occurred in the decades after the Civil War and efforts by white Democrats to reestablish white supremacy and overturn black voting In 1898 a cadre of white Democrats professionals and businessmen planned to overthrow the city government if their candidates were not elected Two days after the election in which a white Republican was elected mayor and both white and black aldermen were elected more than 1500 white men led by Democrat Alfred M Waddell an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 1896 attacked and burned the only black daily newspaper in the state and ran off the new officers They overthrew the legitimately elected municipal government Waddell and his men forced the elected Republican city officials to resign at gunpoint and replaced them with men selected by leading white Democrats Waddell was elected mayor by the newly seated board of aldermen that day Prominent African Americans and white Republicans were banished from the city in the following days 40 This is the only such coup d etat in United States history 40 47 Whites attacked and killed an estimated 10 100 blacks No whites died in the violence As a result of the attacks more than 2100 blacks permanently left the city leaving a hole among its professional and middle class The demographic change was so large that the city became majority white rather than the majority black it was before the white Democrats coup 40 Following these events the North Carolina legislature passed a new constitution that raised barriers to voter registration imposing requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests that effectively disfranchised most black voters following the example of the state of Mississippi Blacks were essentially excluded from the political system until after the enactment of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 40 20th century Edit Wilmington is home to the Bijou theater which began as a tent in 1904 and progressed to a permanent structure in 1906 It operated until 1956 making it the oldest movie theater in the state and one of the oldest continuously running theater in the country 48 In 1910 Charlotte passed Wilmington to become North Carolina s largest city 49 In the Mid 20th Century efforts to preserve many historic building began Due to this many Historic buildings listed as National Register of Historic Places 50 Around the 80s the city was used for filming of many horror films like Blue Velvet in 1984 and I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997 21 In 1990 the final extension of Interstate 40 in North Carolina was opened and officially connected Wilmington to the Interstate Highway System via Raleigh 1918 panorama of downtown Wilmington 1918 panorama of Wilmington s waterfront World War II Edit During World War II Wilmington was the home of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company The shipyard was created as part of the U S government s Emergency Shipbuilding Program Workers built 243 ships in Wilmington during the five years the company operated 51 Three prisoner of war POW camps operated in the city from February 1944 through April 1946 At their peak the camps held 550 German prisoners The first camp was located on the corner of Shipyard Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road it was moved downtown to Ann Street between 8th and 10th avenues when it outgrew the original location A smaller contingent of prisoners was assigned to a third site working in the officers mess and doing grounds keeping at Bluethenthal Army Air Base which is now Wilmington International Airport 52 21st century Edit During the 90s Wilmington began to grow rapidly partially due to the film industry and the completion of I 40 53 The city successfully annexed the areas of Seagate in 1998 and Masonboro in 2000 The annexation of Monkey Junction was stopped in 2012 by the North Carolina House of Representatives after local backlash 54 55 56 In 2017 the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality found that the Cape Fear River had been polluted by a chemical called GenX discharged by a Chemours plant near Fayetteville NC In 2020 President Donald Trump designated Wilmington to be the first WWII Heritage city in the country due to the city s contribution during the war 57 National Register of Historic Places Edit The Audubon Trolley Station Brookwood Historic District Carolina Heights Historic District Carolina Place Historic District City Hall Thalian Hall Delgrado School Federal Building and Courthouse Fort Fisher Gabriel s Landing William Hooper School Former Market Street Mansion District Masonboro Sound Historic District Moores Creek National Battlefield Sunset Park Historic District USS NORTH CAROLINA BB 55 National Historic Landmark James Walker Nursing School Quarters Westbrook Ardmore Historic District Wilmington Historic District and Wilmington National Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places 58 Geography Edit Interactive map of Wilmington city limits Welcome to Wilmington sign Wilmington is located at 34 13 24 N 77 54 44 W 34 22333 N 77 91222 W 34 22333 77 91222 59 It is the eastern terminus of Interstate 40 an east west freeway that ends 2 554 miles away at Barstow California where it joins I 15 the Gateway to Southern California This road passes through many major cities and state capitals along the way According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 41 5 square miles 107 km2 of which 41 0 square miles 106 km2 is land and 0 5 square miles 1 3 km2 1 16 is water Wrightsville Beach is a common destination in the Wilmington area Carolina and Kure beaches also add to the city s beach attractions 60 Climate Edit Wilmington has a humid subtropical climate Koppen Cfa with the following characteristics Cypress Trees in Greenfield Lake Winters are generally mild with January highs in the mid 50s F 12 C and lows in the mid 30s F 1 C Snowfall does not occur in most years and when it does is generally light Spring is reasonably lengthy beginning in late February and lasting to early May The presence of abundant dense vegetation in the area causes significant pollen dusting in the springtime that tends to turn rooftops and cars yellow Summer brings high humidity with daily high temperatures usually ranging from the upper 80s to lower 90s F 31 34 C and daily low temperatures usually from 70 to 75 F 22 C Heat indices can easily break the 100 F 38 C mark though the actual temperature does not in most years Due to the proximity of warm Atlantic Ocean waters and prevailing tropical system tracks the Wilmington area is subject to hurricane or tropical storm activity mostly from August to early October with an average frequency of once every seven years Such tropical systems can bring high winds and very heavy rains sometimes 4 inches 100 mm or more in a single tropical system Precipitation in Wilmington occurs year round April is the driest month with just over 3 inches 76 mm of rain on average and August and September are the wettest months with over 8 inches 200 mm of rain each on average In an average year the July to September period delivers nearly 40 of annual rainfall Autumn is also generally humid at the beginning with the threat from tropical weather systems hurricanes tropical storms and tropical depressions peaking in September Normal January mean temperature 46 0 F 7 8 C The coldest month in recorded history was January 1977 averaging 35 7 F 2 1 C January 1981 had a colder average minimum of 25 8 F 3 4 C Normal July mean temperature 81 1 F 27 3 C The hottest month in recorded history was July 2012 averaging 84 7 F 29 3 C July 1993 had a hotter average maximum of 94 0 F 34 4 C Average nights 32 F 0 C 39 First and last freezes of the season November 18 and March 20 allowing a growing season of 244 days Average days 90 F 32 C 43 but historically as low as 9 in 1909 and as high as 71 in 1980 First and last 90 F highs May 15 September 15 Highest recorded temperature 104 F 40 C on June 27 1952 61 Lowest daily maximum temperature 16 F 9 C on February 13 1899 and December 30 1917 61 Highest daily minimum temperature 83 F 28 C on August 1 1999 and August 9 2007 61 Lowest recorded temperature 0 F 18 C on December 25 1989 61 Average annual precipitation 60 15 inches 1 530 mm but historically ranging from 27 68 in 703 mm in 1909 to 102 40 in 2 601 mm in 2018 62 aided by 23 02 inches of rain September 13 16 from Hurricane Florence s slow movement across the Carolinas 62 63 The 2018 annual precipitation of 102 40 inches exceeded the previous record wettest year 1877 with 83 65 inches of precipitation 62 Wettest day 13 38 in 339 9 mm on September 15 1999 61 Driest month 0 16 in 4 1 mm in April 1995 64 Wettest month 24 13 in 612 9 mm in September 2018 65 followed closely by 23 41 in 594 6 mm in September 1999 64 Winter average snowfall 1 6 inches 4 1 cm the median amount is 0 66 Snowiest 24 hour period 12 1 in 30 7 cm on February 17 18 1896 67 Snowiest month 15 3 in 38 9 cm in December 1989 making the winter of 1989 90 the snowiest 64 Climate data for Wilmington Int l North Carolina 1991 2020 normals extremes 1870 present a Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 82 28 85 29 94 34 95 35 101 38 104 40 103 39 103 39 100 38 98 37 87 31 82 28 104 40 Mean maximum F C 75 24 77 25 82 28 87 31 92 33 96 36 97 36 96 36 92 33 87 31 81 27 75 24 98 37 Average high F C 57 2 14 0 60 3 15 7 66 5 19 2 74 6 23 7 81 1 27 3 87 0 30 6 90 0 32 2 88 3 31 3 83 9 28 8 76 1 24 5 67 4 19 7 60 3 15 7 74 4 23 6 Daily mean F C 46 8 8 2 49 3 9 6 55 3 12 9 63 6 17 6 71 1 21 7 78 2 25 7 81 5 27 5 80 0 26 7 75 3 24 1 65 9 18 8 56 1 13 4 49 7 9 8 64 4 18 0 Average low F C 36 3 2 4 38 4 3 6 44 1 6 7 52 6 11 4 61 1 16 2 69 3 20 7 73 0 22 8 71 7 22 1 66 7 19 3 55 6 13 1 44 8 7 1 39 1 3 9 54 4 12 4 Mean minimum F C 19 7 23 5 28 2 36 2 47 8 58 14 65 18 64 18 55 13 40 4 29 2 24 4 18 8 Record low F C 5 15 5 15 9 13 28 2 35 2 48 9 54 12 55 13 42 6 27 3 16 9 0 18 0 18 Average precipitation inches mm 3 81 97 3 47 88 3 97 101 3 07 78 4 54 115 5 67 144 6 86 174 8 16 207 8 69 221 4 66 118 3 56 90 3 69 94 60 15 1 528 Average snowfall inches cm 0 7 1 8 0 2 0 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2 3 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 9 9 9 5 9 6 7 7 9 6 11 2 13 2 13 9 10 7 8 0 8 5 9 9 121 7Average snowy days 0 1 in 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7Average relative humidity 70 7 68 4 69 1 66 8 73 7 76 3 78 3 80 7 79 9 75 9 73 2 71 5 73 7Mean monthly sunshine hours 181 5 182 1 238 0 276 3 285 3 280 1 280 7 254 3 230 0 229 3 197 4 181 1 2 816 1Percent possible sunshine 58 59 64 71 66 65 64 61 62 65 63 59 63Source NOAA relative humidity and sun 1961 1990 64 68 69 Cityscape Edit Wilmington theater and banking area Downtown north Thermo Fisher building in Northern downtown Wilmington Wilmington boasts a large historic district encompassing nearly 300 blocks Abandoned warehouses on downtown s northern end have been recently demolished making room for multimillion dollar projects such as what was the World Headquarters of Pharmaceutical Product Development now Thermo Fisher Scientific and tallest building in Wilmington at 228 feet a state of the art convention center Live Oak Bank Pavilion Pier 33 Apartments and The Strands houseboat community in Port City Marina Downtown Old Wilmington Downtown Monuments and Historic BuildingsThe George Davis Monument Removed The Confederate Memorial Removed The Bellamy MansionCotton Exchange of WilmingtonThe Temple of IsraelThe Murchison BuildingCrime EditWilmingtonCrime rates 2017 Violent crimesHomicide20Rape23Robbery261Aggravated assault326Total violent crime618Property crimesBurglary1 694Larceny theft3 843Motor vehicle theft373Arson9Total property crime5 910Notes Number of reported crimes per 100 000 population 2012 population 109 370Source 2012 FBI UCR DataBetween 2006 and 2008 crime rates as reported through the Federal Bureau of Investigation s Uniform Crime Reports decreased in 6 of the 8 reported categories Year Murder Rape Robbery Assault Burglary Larceny MVT Arson2006 7 4 65 4 431 5 398 8 1 787 0 4 078 2 682 5 23 22007 10 4 60 3 358 9 424 4 1 703 8 3 761 2 667 8 16 62008 12 2 49 8 324 2 404 5 1 489 0 3 511 5 535 6 15 2Wilmington has an increasing problem with gang violence 70 and on October 15 2013 the WPD and NHC sheriff s department created a joint task force to combat gang violence 71 Just a day later the city council approved 142 000 in funding for a gang investigative unit 72 Demographics EditHistorical populationCensus Pop 18001 689 18202 633 18303 79144 0 18405 33540 7 18507 26436 2 18609 55231 5 187013 44640 8 188017 35029 0 189020 05615 6 190020 9764 6 191025 74822 7 192033 37229 6 193032 270 3 3 194033 4073 5 195045 04334 8 196044 013 2 3 197046 1694 9 198044 000 4 7 199055 53026 2 200075 83836 6 2010106 47640 4 2020115 4518 4 2021 est 117 643 73 1 9 U S Decennial Census 74 2020 75 2020 census Edit Wilmington racial composition 76 Race Number PercentageWhite non Hispanic 79 791 71 7 Black or African American non Hispanic 18 828 18 4 Native American 317 0 27 Asian 1 826 1 58 Pacific Islander 98 0 08 Other Mixed 5 047 4 37 Hispanic or Latino 9 544 8 27 As of the 2020 United States census there were 115 451 people 54 673 households and 27 131 families residing in the city 2013 Edit According to 2013 census estimates 77 there were 112 067 people and 47 003 households in the city The population density was 2 067 8 people per square mile 714 2 km2 and there were 53 400 housing units The racial composition of the city was 73 5 White 19 9 Black or African American 6 1 Hispanic or Latino American 1 2 Asian American 0 5 Native American 0 1 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander There were 34 359 households out of which 20 4 had children under the age of 18 living with them 33 5 were married couples living together 14 0 had a female householder with no husband present and 49 5 were non families 36 6 of all households were made up of individuals and 11 3 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 10 and the average family size was 2 77 In the city the population was spread out with 18 4 under the age of 18 17 2 from 18 to 24 28 5 from 25 to 44 20 6 from 45 to 64 and 15 3 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 34 years For every 100 females there were 87 5 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85 0 males The median income for a household in the city was 31 099 and the median income for a family was 41 891 Males had a median income of 30 803 versus 23 423 for females The per capita income for the city was 21 503 About 13 3 of families and 19 6 of the population were below the poverty line including 25 9 of those under age 18 and 12 0 of those age 65 or over Religion Edit Across from the Bellamy Mansion is the First Baptist Church established in 1808 Grace United Methodist Church established in 1797 Less than half of Wilmington s population is religiously affiliated 47 30 with the majority of practitioners being Christian The two largest Christian denominations in Wilmington are Protestant Baptists 14 66 and Methodists 8 29 followed by Roman Catholics 7 42 There are also a significant number of Presbyterians 3 19 Episcopalians 2 30 Pentecostals 1 45 and Lutherans 1 32 Other Christian denominations make up 7 02 and the Latter Day Saints have 0 90 Much smaller is the proportion of residents who follow Islam 0 46 and Judaism 0 25 A small percentage of people practice Eastern religions 0 04 78 Wilmington has significant historical religious buildings such as the Basilica Shrine of St Mary and the Temple of Israel Transportation EditAirport Edit Main article Wilmington International Airport The Wilmington International Airport ILM serves the area with commercial air service provided by American Airlines Delta Air Lines United Airlines and Avelo Airlines American Airlines carries a large share of the airport s traffic and therefore flies the largest of the aircraft in and out of the airport The airport serves over 930 000 travelers per year 79 80 81 The airport is also home to two fixed base operations FBOs that currently house over 100 private aircraft The airport maintains a separate International Terminal providing a full service Federal Inspection Station to clear international flights This includes U S Customs and Border Protection U S Department of Agriculture and the U S Department of Immigration The airport is 4 miles from downtown and is served by Wave Transit buses Interstate highways Edit Barstow California distance sign originally seen from I 40 in Wilmington I 40 I 140 NC 140U S Routes Edit The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge foreground carries US 17 Business US 76 and US 421 across the Cape Fear River US 17 US 17 Bus US 17 Byp To be the Military Cutoff Extension and the Hampstead Bypass ending in Pender County US 74 US 76 US 117 US 421 US 421 TruckNorth Carolina state highways Edit NC 132 NC 133 NC 140Alternative transportation options Edit Public transit in the area is provided by the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority 82 which operates fixed bus routes shuttles and a free downtown trolley under the brand name Wave Transit A daily intercity bus service to Raleigh is provided by Greyhound Lines Wilmington is also served by Amtrak Thruway bus connections to Wilson North Carolina where connections can be made with Amtrak s Carolinian and Palmetto The city s Union Station last had passenger train service in 1968 with the Seaboard Coast Line s predecessor version of the Palmetto The Seaboard Air Line s station last had service in 1958 with a daily train to Charlotte via Hamlet 83 84 The NCDOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 600 km brevet route 85 The City of Wilmington offers transient docking facilities 86 in the center of Downtown Wilmington along the Cape Fear River approximately 12 5 miles 20 km from the Intracoastal Waterway The river depth in the run up from the ICW is in excess of 40 feet 12 m Taxicab services are available from several vendors however the City s Taxi Commission keeps meter rates artificially low In 2021 regulations were eased to help the taxi industry compete with other companies like Uber and Lyft 87 The Gary Shell Cross City Trail is primarily a multi use trail that provides bicycle and pedestrian access to numerous recreational cultural and educational destinations in Wilmington The Gary Shell Cross City Trail provides bicycle and pedestrian connection from Wade Park Halyburton Park and Empie Park to the Heide Trask Drawbridge at the Intracoastal Waterway 88 It also connects to the River to Sea Bikeway and the under construction Central College Trail and Greenville Loop Trail Economy Edit The State Port of Wilmington Wilmington City Hall with movie crews filming in July 2012 The Graystone Inn a bed and breakfast with colonial architecture is located in downtown Wilmington Wilmington s industrial base includes electrical medical electronic and telecommunications equipment clothing and apparel food processing paper products nuclear fuel and pharmaceuticals Wilmington is part of North Carolina s Research coast adjacent to the Research Triangle Park in Durham NC 89 Also important to Wilmington s economy is tourism due to its close proximity to the ocean and vibrant nightlife Located on the Cape Fear River which flows into the Atlantic Ocean Wilmington is a sizable seaport including private marine terminals and the North Carolina State Ports Authority s Port of Wilmington 90 Wilmington is home to the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce the oldest Chamber in North Carolina organized in 1853 91 Companies with their headquarters in Wilmington include Live Oak Bank and HomeInsurance com Top employers Edit See also Category Companies based in Wilmington North Carolina According to the City s 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report the top employers in the city are 92 Employer Employees1 New Hanover Health Network 5 9912 New Hanover County Schools 3 6453 General Electric 2 1954 University of North Carolina Wilmington 1 8445 New Hanover County 1 5636 Pharmaceutical Product Development 1 4647 Verizon Wireless 1 2168 Cape Fear Community College 1 1769 Corning 1 00010 City of Wilmington 995Government EditWilmington adopted a council manager form of government in 1941 93 Mayor Edit List of mayors of Wilmington North CarolinaJohn Sampson 1760 94 Frederick Gregg circa 1760s 94 Moses John deRosset circa 1766 94 95 Hinton James c 1800s first student to attend the University of North Carolina 96 William James Harriss 1839 physician died in office 97 Colonel John McRae c 1855 98 99 100 A H Van Bokkelen 1866 101 John Dawson 1868 101 102 Joseph H Neff 1868 101 102 Silas N Martin 1871 1872 101 103 S H Solomon Harry Fishblate 1878 1880 1893 104 105 Edward Dudley Hall 1883 1887 106 107 A G Ricaud 1891 1893 108 109 Silas P Wright 1897 1898 110 111 resigned at gunpoint and Waddell installed in his place 112 Alfred Moore Waddell 1898 1906 109 113 William B Cooper 1902 1903 as mayor pro tempore 114 William E Springer 1907 1910 115 116 Joseph D Smith circa 1911 117 P Q Parker Quince Moore c 1913 1921 118 119 120 James Cowen circa 1922 121 William E Mayo 1921 1924 122 123 died in office Katherine Mayo Cowan 1924 1925 123 124 assumed her husband s term Walter H Blair 1926 1937 125 126 109 Robert E Cooper 1937 1940 127 128 Hargrove Bellamy 1941 1942 129 Edgar Yow 1942 1943 130 131 Bruce B Cameron 1943 1944 died in office 132 133 W Ronald Lane 1945 1946 134 135 J E L Hi Buddy Wade 1948 136 as mayor pro tem 1949 1950 1958 1960 137 Royce McClelland 1951 138 E S Capps 1952 1953 1960 1961 137 E L White circa 1953 1955 109 Daniel David Cameron 1956 1958 137 139 Ogden Allsbrook 1961 1970 137 140 Hannah Block circa 1963 as mayor pro tempore 140 141 Luther M Cromartie 1970 1971 137 Benjamin David Schwartz circa 1971 1972 137 142 143 John Symes 1972 137 Herbert B Brand 1973 1975 137 Ben Halterman 1975 1983 144 William Schwartz circa 1983 1985 145 Berry Armon Williams 1985 1987 146 Don Betz 1987 1997 137 Hamilton Hicks 1997 1999 137 David L Jones 1999 2001 137 Harper Peterson 2001 2003 137 Spence Broadhurst 2003 2006 Bill Saffo 2007 presentEducation EditUniversities and colleges Edit Iconic arches on the campus of University of North Carolina at Wilmington UNCW University of North Carolina at Wilmington Cape Fear Community College Shaw University satellite campus University of Mount Olive satellite campus University of North Carolina at Pembroke satellite campus Miller Motte Technical CollegeSchools Edit Public schools in Wilmington are operated by the New Hanover County School System High schools Edit Eugene Ashley High School John T Hoggard High School Isaac Bear Early College High School Emsley A Laney High School New Hanover High School Mosley Performance Learning Center Wilmington Early College High School Girls Leadership Academy GLOW Middle schools Edit Holly Shelter Middle School Murray Middle School Myrtle Grove Middle School MCS Noble Middle School Roland Grise Middle School Trask Middle School Williston Middle School Lake Forest Academy School St Mark Catholic School Wilmington North Carolina Elementary schools Edit Masonboro Elementary School Alderman Anderson Bellamy Blair Bradley Creek Castle Hayne Codington College Park Eaton Forest Hills Freeman School of Engineering Gregory School of Science Mathematics and Technology Holly Tree Lake Forest Academy Mary C Williams Murrayville New Horizons Elementary School private Ogden Pine Valley Elementary School Snipes Academy of Arts and Design Sunset Park Winter Park Wrightsboro Wrightsville Beach Friends School of Wilmington St Mark Catholic School Wilmington North Carolina Academies and alternate schools Edit Cape Fear Academy The Lyceum Academy St Mark Catholic School Wilmington North Carolina St Mary Catholic Church Wilmington North Carolina Wilmington Academy of Arts and Sciences Cape Fear Center for InquiryHealthcare EditNew Hanover Regional Medical Center is a hospital in Wilmington It was established in 1967 as a public hospital and it was the first hospital in the city to admit patients of all races 147 It was operated by New Hanover County 148 In February 2021 Novant Health a nonprofit private organization acquired the hospital 149 Culture EditPerforming arts Edit The city supports a very active calendar with its showcase theater Thalian Hall hosting about 250 events annually The complex has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1858 and houses three performance venues the Main Stage the Grand Ballroom and the Studio Theater 150 The Hannah Block Historic USO Community Arts Center 151 120 S Second Street in historic downtown Wilmington is a multiuse facility owned by the City of Wilmington and managed by the Thalian Association 152 the Official Community Theater of North Carolina 153 Here five studios are available to nonprofit organizations for theatrical performances rehearsals musicals recitals and art classes For more than half a century the Hannah Block Historic USO Building has facilitated the coming together of generations providing children with programs that challenge them creatively and enhance the quality of life for residents throughout the region The Hannah Block Second Street Stage is home to the Thalian Association Children s Theater 154 It is one of the main attractions at the Hannah Block Community Arts Center The theater seats 200 and is used as a performance venue by community theater groups and other entertainment productions The University of North Carolina at Wilmington College of Arts and Science departments of Theatre Music and Art share a state of the art 34 million Cultural Arts Building which opened in December 2006 The production area consists of a music recital hall art gallery and two theaters Sponsored events include 4 theater productions a year 155 The Brooklyn Arts Center at St Andrews is a 125 year old building on the corner of North 4th and Campbell St in downtown Wilmington The Brooklyn Arts Center at Saint Andrews BAC is on the National Register of Historic Places The BAC is used for weddings concerts fundraisers art shows vintage flea markets and other community driven events 156 Wilmington is home to the Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts a studio for foundlings The Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts is the only studio in the region to offer Progressing Ballet Technique 157 instruction from two certified instructors The Conservatory is also host to Turning Pointe Dance Company a faith based dance company which performs artistic pieces such as Pinocchio for the Wilmington Community 158 Film Edit EUE Screen Gems Studios near Wilmington Main article Films and television shows produced in Wilmington North Carolina Wilmington is home to EUE Screen Gems Studios Its prominent place in the cinema throughout the 80s and the 90s earned the city the moniker Hollywood East Popular television series like Dawson s Creek One Tree Hill Sleepy Hollow SIX 159 Good Behavior Eastbound and Down and Under The Dome 160 were filmed at the studio and on location throughout the city Movies shot in Wilmington include Maximum Overdrive 1986 Crimes of the Heart 1986 Year of the Dragon 1985 Blue Velvet 1986 King Kong Lives 1986 Hiding Out 1987 Raw Deal 1986 Track 29 1988 Weeds 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 The Crow 1994 Silver Bullet 1985 Firestarter 1984 161 Iron Man 3 162 A Walk to Remember We re the Millers The Longest Ride and The Choice 163 Actor Brandon Lee was killed in an accidental shooting during the filming of The Crow 164 Since 1995 Wilmington hosts an annual nationally recognized independent film festival called Cucalorus 165 It is the keystone event of The Cucalorus Film Foundation a non profit organization The Foundation also sponsors weekly screenings several short documentary projects and the annual Kids Festival with hands on film making workshops The Cape Fear Independent Film Network also hosts a film festival annually and the Wilmington Jewish Film Festival also takes place yearly 166 For several years Wilmington was also the location of fan conventions for One Tree Hill reuniting the cast and drawing tourists to the city 167 In 2014 Governor Pat McCrory decided not to renew the film incentives which ended up taking a massive toll on not just Wilmington s but North Carolina s entire film industry 168 As a result most productions and film businesses moved to Atlanta Georgia As of 2017 there have been attempts to bring the industry back to North Carolina via the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant This grant designates 31 million per fiscal year Jul 1 Jun 30 in film incentives 169 Literature Edit Birthplace of Johnson Jones Hooper 1815 1862 Author of the Simon Suggs Series Birthplace of Robert Ruark 1915 1965 Now rare an early edition of the Scottish poet Robert Burns s Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was printed by Bonsal and Niles of Market Street Baltimore in 1804 Music Edit Chamber Music Wilmington was founded in 1995 and presents its four concert Simply Classical series every season The concerts are performed by world class chamber musicians and are held at UNCW s Beckwith Recital Hall The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra was established in 1971 and offers throughout the year a series of five classical performances and a Free Family Concert 170 Wilmington is also home to numerous music festivals One of the largest DIY festivals the Wilmington Exchange Festival occurs over a period of 5 days around Memorial Day each year It is currently in its 13th year 171 Celebrating its 37th year February 2 thru 4 2017 the North Carolina Jazz Festival is a three day traditional jazz festival that features world renowned jazz musicians 172 The Cape Fear Blues Society is a driving force behind blues music in Wilmington The organization manages staffs and sponsors weekly Cape Fear Blues Jams and the annual Cape Fear Blues Challenge talent competition winners travel to Memphis TN for the International Blues Challenge Its largest endeavor is the Cape Fear Blues Festival an annual celebration that showcases local regional and national touring blues artists performing at a variety of events and venues including the Cape Fear Blues Cruise Blues Workshops an All Day Blues Jam and numerous live club shows Membership in the CFBS is open to listeners and musicians alike 173 Museums and historic areas Edit The USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial seen from downtown Wilmington across the Cape Fear River The Railroad Museum is located behind the Hilton Hotel Cameron Art Museum 174 The Bellamy Mansion Cape Fear Museum of History and Science 175 The Children s Museum of Wilmington 176 First Baptist Church founded 1808 Fort Fisher Historic Area Grace United Methodist Church founded 1797 The battleship USS North Carolina from the Wilmington Riverwalk St James Episcopal Church the oldest church in Wilmington St Mary Catholic Church historic Roman Catholic church in Wilmington First Presbyterian Church historic Presbyterian church Latimer House Museum Sunset Park Historic District Temple of Israel the oldest synagogue in North Carolina USS North Carolina Memorial Wilmington Railroad Museum 177 Hannah Block Historic USO 178 The Second and Orange Street USO Club was erected by the Army Corps of Engineers at a cost of 80 000 Along with an identical structure on Nixon Street for African American servicemen it opened in December 1941 the same month that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor From 1941 to 1945 the USO hosted 35 000 uniformed visitors a week Recently renovated with sensitivity to its historic character the Hannah Block Historic USO HBHUSO lobby serves as a museum where World War II memorabilia and other artifacts are displayed The building itself was rededicated in Ms Block s name in 2006 and restored to its 1943 wartime character in 2008 The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places The World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition 179 an all volunteer 501 c 3 preservation organization is the de facto preservationist of the building s history and maintains the home front museum Festivals Edit Wilmington is host to many annual festivals including most notably the Azalea Festival The Azalea Festival sponsored by the Cape Fear Garden Club features a garden tour historic home tour garden party musical performances a parade and a fireworks show It takes places every year in April 180 Media EditSee also List of newspapers in North Carolina List of radio stations in North Carolina and List of television stations in North Carolina Newspapers Edit The Star News is Wilmington s daily newspaper read widely throughout the Lower Cape Fear region and now owned by Gannett following its merger with the Star s previous owner GateHouse Media 181 A daily online newspaper Port City Daily portcitydaily com is owned by Local Voice Media Two historically black newspapers are distributed and published weekly The Wilmington Journal and The Challenger Newspapers Encore Magazine is a weekly arts and entertainment publication Broadcast radio Edit AM Edit 630 AM WMFD Sports ESPN Radio AM 630 1340 AM WLSG Regional Mexican La Raza 94 1 FM Edit 89 7 FM WDVV Worship amp Praise Music The Dove 89 7 90 5 FM WWIL FM Christian Music Life 90 5 91 3 FM WHQR Public Radio 93 1 FM WBPL LP Wilmington Catholic Radio 94 1 FM W231CL Regional Mexican La Raza 94 1 WLSG translator 95 5 FM W238AV Contemporary Christian K LOVE 95 9 FM W240AS Soft AC 95 9 The Breeze WKXB translator 97 3 FM WMNX Hip Hop R amp B Coast 97 3 100 5 FM W263BA Contemporary Christian K LOVE 101 3 FM WWQQ FM Country Double Q 101 102 7 FM WGNI Hot AC 102 7 GNI 104 5 FM WYHW Christian Talk 104 5 Television Edit The Wilmington television market is ranked 130 in the United States and is the smallest DMA in North Carolina The broadcast stations are as follows WWAY Channel 3 ABC affiliate with CBS on 3 2 and CW on 3 3 licensed to Wilmington owned by Morris Multimedia WECT Channel 6 NBC affiliate licensed to Wilmington owned by Gray Television WILM LD Channel 10 Independent station licensed to Wilmington owned by the Capitol Broadcasting Company WSFX TV Channel 26 Fox affiliate licensed to Wilmington owned by American Spirit Media and operated by Gray Television WUNJ TV Channel 39 PBS member station part of the UNC TV Network Cable news station News 14 Carolina also maintains its coastal bureau in Wilmington On September 8 2008 at noon WWAY WECT WSFX WILM LP and W51CW all turned off their analog signals making Wilmington the first market in the nation to go digital only as part of a test by the Federal Communications Commission FCC to iron out transition and reception concerns before the nationwide shutoff Wilmington was chosen as the test market because the area s digital channel positions will remain unchanged after the transition 182 As the area s official conduit of emergency information WUNJ did not participate in the early analog switchoff and kept their analog signal on until the national digital switchover date of June 12 2009 183 W47CK did not participate due to its low power status FCC rules currently exempt low powered stations from the 2009 analog shutdown 184 WILM LP and W51CW chose to participate even though they are exempt as LPTV stations 185 Despite Tropical Storm Hanna making landfall southwest of Wilmington two days before September 6 the switchover continued as scheduled The ceremony was marked by governmental and television representatives flipping a large switch marked with the slogan First in Flight First in Digital from analog to digital 186 eSports EditClub League Venue Founded TitlesWilmington Sharks CPL Baseball Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium 1997 2Wilmington Hammerheads USL Soccer Legion Stadium 1996 1Wilmington Sea Dawgs TRBL Basketball Wilmington YMCA 2006 0The Wilmington Sharks are a Coastal Plain League CPL baseball team in Wilmington that was founded in 1997 and was among the charter organizations when the CPL was formed that same year The roster is made up of top collegiate baseball players fine tuning their skills using wood bats to prepare for professional baseball Their stadium is located at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium The Wilmington Sea Dawgs are a Tobacco Road Basketball League TRBL team that began its inaugural season with the American Basketball Association ABA in November 2006 and have also played in the Premier Basketball League and the Continental Basketball League The Wilmington Hammerheads are a professional soccer team based in Wilmington They were founded in 1996 and played in the United Soccer Leagues Second Division Their stadium was the Legion Stadium After the 2009 season the USL discontinued their relationship with the franchise owner Chuck Sullivan The Hammerheads franchise returned in 2011 The University of North Carolina Wilmington sponsors 19 intercollegiate sports and has held Division 1 membership in the NCAA since 1977 UNCW competes in the Colonial Athletic Association and has been a member since 1984 The University of North Carolina Wilmington is also home to the Seamen Ultimate Frisbee team The team won the National Championship in 1993 and most recently qualified for the USA Ultimate College Nationals tournament in 2014The Cape Fear Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby club playing in USA Rugby South Division II They were founded in 1974 and hosts the annual Cape Fear Sevens Tournament held over July 4 weekend hosting teams from all over the world They own their own rugby pitch located at 21st and Chestnut St 187 Off and on from 1900 to 2001 Wilmington has been home to a professional minor league baseball team The Wilmington Pirates a Cincinnati Reds farm team were one of the top clubs in the Tobacco State League from 1946 50 188 Most recently the Wilmington Waves a Class A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers played in the South Atlantic League Former All Star catcher Jason Varitek played for Wilmington s Port City Roosters in 1995 and 1996 In 1914 the Philadelphia Phillies held spring training in Wilmington 189 The beach near Wilmington NC is home to the annual O Neil Sweetwater Pro Am and Music Festival the second largest surfing contest on the East Coast 190 Shopping complexes EditIndependence Mall Cotton Exchange of Wilmington Mayfaire Town Center Hanover Center Shopping Mall Long Leaf Mall Chandler s Wharf Front Street Center The Point at BarclayPoints of interest EditAirlie Gardens New Hanover County Extension Service Arboretum North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher North Carolina Azalea Festival EUE Screen Gems Studios USS North Carolina Battleship amp Museum University of North Carolina at Wilmington Arboretum Cameron Art Museum Cape Fear Museum of History and Science Carolina Beach Kure Beach Wrightsville Beach Fort Fisher State Recreation AreaNotable people EditArt and literature Edit Jock Brandis author co founder of the Full Belly Project Wiley Cash author Mark Cox poet Minnie Evans folk artist Barbara Guest poet and prose stylist Will Inman poet Sharyn McCrumb author Peggy Payne writer journalist and consultant to writers Celia Rivenbark humor columnist and author Robert Ruark author syndicated columnist and big game hunter Emily McGary Selinger 1848 1927 painter writer poet educator Betsy Thornton authorGovernment and politics Edit Joseph Carter Abbott colonel in Union Army during American Civil War Republican state senator representing North Carolina from 1868 1871 John Dillard Bellamy congressman Timothy Bloodworth teacher and statesmen elected to the First United States Congress Deb Butler serves in the North Carolina House of Representatives John Cox member of the Virginia House of Delegates George Davis politician and lawyer Lucien C Gause lawyer and politician representing Arkansas Eustace Edward Green was a state legislator and educator in the North Carolina and a doctor in Georgia Susi Hamilton Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives Lethia Sherman Hankins African American woman city council member Cornelius Harnett merchant farmer and statesman delegate for North Carolina in the Continental Congress William Hooper 1742 1790 member Continental Congress Signer United States Declaration of Independence Deputy Attorney General NC federal judge John Peter LaFrenz politician representing New York Charles A McClenahan member of the Maryland House of Delegates for district 38 Daniel F McComas born in San Juan Puerto Rico served as member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing New Hanover County Harry Payne state representative and North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Duncan K McRae attorney diplomat and state legislator Samuel D Purviance represented North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives Bill Saffo longest serving mayor in Wilmington s history John Sampson politician before and after the American Colonial era Carson Smith Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives previously served as sheriff to Pender County North Carolina Charles Manly Stedman politician and lawyer William Francis Strudwick early U S congressman between serving 1796 and 1797 James Thorington lawyer judge and one term U S representative from Iowa s 2nd congressional district Lara Trump daughter in law of former US President Donald Trump Alfred Moore Waddell lawyer politician and publisher Garland H White preacher and politician who served as chaplain for the 28th United States Colored Infantry Regiment Woodrow Wilson 28th president of the United StatesMedia and entertainment Edit Barnacle Boi electronic music producer vocalist and visual artist David Brinkley television newscaster for NBC and ABC Cliff Cash stand up comedian Charlie Daniels country music legend inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame Sammy Davis Sr dancer and father of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr Maddie Hasson actress best known for her role as Willa Monday on the short lived Fox television series The Finder Johnson J Hooper 19th century humorist Caterina Jarboro first black opera singer ever to sing on an opera stage in America In 1999 she was inducted into the Wilmington Walk of Fame Charles Kuralt award winning journalist Jane McNeill stage film and television actress Don Payne writer and producer Willis Richardson playwright James Wall stage manager and actorMilitary Edit Edwin Anderson Jr Medal of Honor recipient Eugene Ashley Jr Medal of Honor recipient Arthur Bluethenthal football player and World War I pilot William D Halyburton Jr Medal of Honor recipient 191 Joseph McNeil member of the Greensboro Four during Civil rights movement and former major general in the U S Air Force Charles P Murray Jr Medal of Honor recipient Ilario Pantano United States Marine William Gordon Rutherfurd commanded HMS Swiftsure during the Battle of Trafalgar Ted Sampley Vietnam veteran and POW MIA activist John Steele paratrooper subject of the film The Longest Day John Ancrum Winslow officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican American War and American Civil WarSportspeople Edit Kadeem Allen born 1993 basketball player in the NBA and currently for Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Basketball Premier League Marvin Allen UNC Chapel Hill soccer coach Wright Anderson Elon University football coach Reggie Barnes former pro skateboarder and owner of Eastern Skateboard Supply Connor Barth NFL kicker Nick Becton NFL offensive tackle Sam Bowens MLB player Derek Brunson mixed martial arts fighter Jonathan Cooper NFL offensive guard Alge Crumpler NFL tight end Hoss Ellington NASCAR driver Roman Gabriel former NFL Most Valuable Player Kenny Gattison former NBA player Althea Gibson tennis player Tyrell Godwin MLB player Keever Jankovich NFL player Sam Jones Basketball Hall of Famer and former NBA player Kitwana Jones CFL defensive end Michael Jordan Basketball Hall of Famer businessman and former NBA player 192 193 Sonny Jurgensen Pro Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Clarence Kea basketball player Meadowlark Lemon Basketball Hall of Famer and former Harlem Globetrotter Sugar Ray Leonard Olympic gold medal boxer Quinton McCracken Major League Baseball outfielder Teana Miller WNBA player Rodney Moore boxer Ron Musselman MLB pitcher Trot Nixon MLB outfielder Jim Norton NFL defensive lineman Pat Ogrin NFL defensive tackle Sam Pellom NBA player Jackie Rogers NASCAR driver Jay Ross NFL nose guard Robert Ruark sportsman and syndicated writer Sonny Siaki professional wrestler Charles Sinek competitive ice dancer Harvest Smith professional basketball player Willie Stargell MLB outfielder and first baseman Ross Tomaselli professional soccer player Ty Walker professional basketball player Tamera Ty Young WNBA playerOther notables Edit Julia Dalton Miss North Carolina USA 2015 Kristen Dalton Miss North Carolina USA 2009 amp Miss USA 2009 Sarah Graham Kenan philanthropist Samuel Mendelsohn Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and scholar Charles J Mendelsohn cryptographer and classicist Louis T Moore preservationist author historian photographer and civic promoter Eliza Hall Nutt Parsley founder of the NC Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy Thomas Peters early founder of Sierra Leone Fred Pickler actor author and photographer Robert Robinson Taylor American architect David Walker 1796 1830 Black abolitionist Amy Wright CNN Hero of the Year 2017 Fr Thomas Price first native Catholic priest of North CarolinaSister cities EditWilmington is a sister city with the following cities Dandong Liaoning China 1986 194 Doncaster South Yorkshire United Kingdom 1989 194 Bridgetown Barbados 2004 194 San Pedro Town Belize 2007 194 See also EditList of municipalities in North Carolina Gregory Normal SchoolNotes Edit Official snowfall records for Wilmington were kept at the Weather Bureau in downtown from December 1870 to September 1951 and at Wilmington Int l since October 1951 Precipitation minimum temperature and maximum temperature records date to 1 January 1871 1 March 1873 and 1 April 1874 respectively 64 For more information see ThreadEx References Edit 10 years in Wilmywood Actor reflects on boom in the industry Spectrum News 1 Retrieved December 25 2022 Elected Officials New Hanover County Board of Elections Retrieved April 23 2022 ArcGIS REST Services Directory United States Census Bureau Retrieved September 20 2022 List of 2020 Census Urban Areas census gov United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 7 2023 a b U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Wilmington North Carolina Table 1 Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas April 1 2010 to July 1 2012 Archived from the original on April 1 2013 Retrieved September 18 2013 Best Place to Live in Wilmington Metro Area North Carolina Best Places June 9 2022 Retrieved June 9 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Wilmington Riverwalk City of Wilmington NC Best American Riverfront Winners 2014 10 Best Readers Choice Travel Awards 10Best Dozen Distinctive Destinations Wilmington NC 2008 Archived January 29 2012 at the Wayback Machine University of North Carolina Wilmington uncw edu Retrieved June 2 2022 a b Tyson Timothy B November 17 2006 The Ghosts of 1898 Wilmington s Race Riot And The Rise Of White Supremacy PDF The News amp Observer Cain Brooke Quillan Martha February 17 2021 10 NC Black history lessons you likely weren t taught in school but should have been Raleigh News amp Observer Retrieved February 27 2021 Crain Caleb What a White Supremacist Coup Looks Like The New Yorker Retrieved May 20 2020 Coast Guard Cities United States Coast Guard U S Department of Homeland Security Defense Media Activity Retrieved November 11 2022 United States Coast Guard Atlantic Area gt Our Organization gt Area Cutters gt CGDILIGENCE gt History United States Coast Guard Atlantic Area U S Department of Homeland Security Defense Media Activity Retrieved November 11 2022 Photos Coast Guard Cutter Diligence through the years Wilmington Star News Retrieved November 11 2020 Home Battleship NC Battleship NC Retrieved June 2 2022 The Children s Museum of Wilmington NC Play Learn Grow Together children museum wilm Retrieved June 2 2022 Wilmington Hammerheads PDL www wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth com Retrieved June 2 2022 a b Movies Filmed in Wilmington NC Wilmington Regional Film Commission Retrieved June 2 2022 Television Filmed in Wilmington NC Wilmington Regional Film Commission Retrieved June 2 2022 a b Lee Lawrence 1990 The Lower Cape Fear in colonial days Library of Congress Photoduplication Service pp 119 125 OCLC 865969052 a b Wilmington NC History Wilmington NC com www wilmington nc com Retrieved June 2 2022 Documenting the American South Colonial and State Records of North Carolina a b c d Alan D Watson Wilmington North Carolina to 1861 Jefferson NC McFarland amp Company 2003 B C Brooks January 7 2014 B C Brooks A Writer s Hiding Place Historical Execution of Gov George Burrington of North Carolina Donald R Lennon and Ida B Kellam eds The Wilmington Town Book 1743 1778 Raleigh NC Division of Archives and History 1973 Marvin Michael Kay and Lorin Lee Cary Slavery in North Carolina 1748 1775 Chapel Hill Univ of North Carolina Press 1995 Fort Johnston NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved June 2 2022 NCpedia NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved June 2 2022 a b c William L Saunders ed The Colonial Records of North Carolina 10 vols Raleigh NC P M Hale 1886 1980 7 pp 124 25 131 143 E Lawrence Lee The Lower Cape Fear in Colonial Days Chapel Hill NC Univ of North Carolina Press 1965 p 245 Donna J Spindel Law and Disorder The North Carolina Stamp Act Crisis North Carolina Historical Review 56 1981 p 8 Paul David Nelson William Tryon and the Course of Empire Chapel Hill NC Univ of North Carolina Press 1990 pp 42 43 Ingram Hunter Revolution came early in the Cape Fear with Stamp Act rebellion Wilmington Star News Retrieved June 2 2022 The American annual register 1827 35 New York G amp C Carvill 8v p 593 Janet L Seapker History of Oakdale Cemetery Archived December 27 2011 at the Wayback Machine Oakdale Cemetery Retrieved February 13 2012 Andrew J Howell The Book of Wilmington Wilmington NC Wilmington Printing Company 1930 a b c d e Chapter 5 Archived March 21 2009 at the Wayback Machine 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission Report North Carolina Dept of Cultural Resources Battle of Wilmington www thomaslegion net Retrieved June 2 2022 Angela Mack December 16 2005 Over a century later facts of 1898 race riots released Star News Wilmington NC The Commercial amp Financial Chronicle William B Dana Company 1899 NORTH CAROLINA S NEGROES Offices Which They Hold in Several Counties of the State New York Times November 6 1898 Prather Sr Leon H 1998 We have taken a city In Cecelsi David Tyson Timothy eds Democracy Betrayed The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press pp 15 41 ISBN 0807824518 When white supremacists overthrew a government archived from the original on October 30 2021 retrieved September 8 2019 Islah Speller March 19 2017 Sugar Hill Neighborhood Walking Tour C SPAN Twentieth Century North Carolina Timeline NC Museum of History www ncmuseumofhistory org Retrieved April 13 2022 Survey and Research Report on the Mecklenburg County Courthouse Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission Retrieved February 1 2018 History of Wilmington From the Colonial Era to Today www wilmingtonandbeaches com Retrieved June 2 2022 America s First www wilmingtonnc gov Retrieved June 2 2022 Wilmington s World War II German POW Camp sign dedication wect com Retrieved June 2 2022 Wilmington NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved June 2 2022 ONLY ON 3 12 years after annexation some Masonboro residents still waiting for city services WWAYTV3 April 11 2012 Retrieved August 16 2022 North Carolina stops annexation of Monkey Junction WWAYTV3 May 30 2012 Retrieved August 16 2022 Seagate Neighborhood Plan www wilmingtonnc gov 2004 Retrieved August 16 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link American World War II Heritage City Program World War II U S National Park Service www nps gov Retrieved June 2 2022 National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 US Gazetteer files 2010 2000 and 1990 United States Census Bureau February 12 2011 Retrieved April 23 2011 All Attractions Wilmington NC Official Tourism Site www wilmingtonandbeaches com Retrieved June 2 2022 a b c d e Threaded Climate Extremes for Wilmington Area NC National Weather Service Retrieved June 28 2010 a b c Wilmington s Race to 100 inches Dolce Chris September 17 2018 Florence Vaults Wilmington North Carolina to Its Record Wettest Year Since 1877 Weather Underground Retrieved September 20 2018 a b c d e NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 14 2021 2018 Climate Summary for Southeastern North Carolina and Northeastern South Carolina Tim Armstrong April 13 2015 Wilmington NC Snowfall Database since 1870 www weather gov National Weather Service Retrieved December 5 2015 Snow Balling Snowstorm February 17 18 1896 Station Wilmington INTL AP NC U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 14 2021 WILMINGTON WSO AP NC Climate Normals 1961 1990 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 14 2021 Gangs Archives WWAY TV3 WWAY TV3 Archived copy Archived from the original on October 17 2013 Retrieved October 16 2013 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link TV3 WWAY City Council approves funding for WPD gang investigative unit Archived from the original on October 17 2013 Retrieved April 28 2017 U S Census Bureau QuickFacts Wilmington city North Carolina www census gov Retrieved June 2 2022 United States Census Bureau Census of Population and Housing Retrieved September 18 2013 U S Census Bureau QuickFacts Wilmington city North Carolina www census gov Retrieved June 2 2022 Explore Census Data data census gov Retrieved December 24 2021 Wilmington city North Carolina QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau Archived from the original on February 11 2015 Wilmington North Carolina Religion McGrath Gareth Flying high Wilmington airport sets passenger record Wilmington Star News Retrieved March 4 2019 ILM reports annual passenger record WilmingtonBiz Retrieved March 4 2019 Wilmington Airport Documents Fly ILM Fly ILM Retrieved March 4 2019 Bus Shuttle amp Trolley Transportation Wave Transit Wilmington NC Wavetransit com April 7 2013 Retrieved May 21 2013 Seaboard Air Line Railroad Table 38 Official Guide of the Railways National Railway Publication Company 90 7 December 1957 Gubbins Pat Borden August 7 1988 ALL ABOARD TENANT SOUGHT TO RENOVATE SEABOARD DEPOT Charlotte Observer 400 Kilometers Unc edu Archived from the original on October 7 2012 Retrieved May 21 2013 City of Wilmington North Carolina gt Community Services gt Recreation gt Docking Ci wilmington nc us Archived from the original on December 22 2015 Retrieved May 21 2013 Wilmington eases taxi regulations to help industry compete with Uber Lyft Port City Daily November 19 2021 Retrieved November 6 2022 City of Wilmington North Carolina gt Community Services gt Gary Shell Cross City Trail Wilmingtonnc gov Archived from the original on May 16 2013 Retrieved May 21 2013 The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States Statistical Atlas statisticalatlas com Retrieved June 2 2022 Port of Wilmington NC Ports Retrieved June 2 2022 About Us Wilmington Chamber of Commerce NC www wilmingtonchamber org Retrieved June 2 2022 City of Santa Fe Springs CAFR PDF Archived from the original PDF on May 28 2015 Retrieved May 25 2013 City Selects Council Manager System 1 743 To 1 259 Votes In Unusually Light Referendum Wilmington Morning Star Vol 74 no 181 final ed April 1 1941 p 1 a b c Wilmington History City of Wilmington North Carolina Retrieved May 9 2017 Timeline De Rosset Moses John NCpedia May 29 2013 Retrieved January 17 2020 Hinton James First Student at Chapel Hill NC DNCR NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources February 12 2016 Retrieved January 15 2020 Digital Collections Text Digital Collections at ECU June 12 1916 Retrieved January 15 2020 Relief Association Portsmouth Va 1856 Report to the Contributors of the Fund for the Relief of Portsmouth Virginia During the Prevalence of the Yellow Fever 1855 p 285 Retrieved January 17 2020 Rhodes Journal of Banking A Practical Banker s Magazine B Rhodes amp Company 1883 p 601 Retrieved January 17 2020 Sterling A W 1922 The Book of Englewood Mayor and council of the city of Englewood N J p 273 Retrieved January 17 2020 a b c d T H Haddock ed 1871 Wilmington N C Directory P Heinsberger p 24 a b Evans W M K Joyner C 2004 Ballots and Fence Rails Reconstruction on the Lower Cape Fear University of Georgia Press p 305 ISBN 978 0 8203 2384 8 Retrieved January 17 2020 The New England Historical and Genealogical Register New England Historic Genealogical Society 1873 p 102 Retrieved January 14 2020 Rogoff L 2010 Down Home Jewish Life in North Carolina University of North Carolina Press p 162 ISBN 978 0 8078 9599 3 Retrieved January 14 2020 North Carolina Wilmington Encyclopedia Institute of Southern Jewish Life Retrieved January 14 2020 In 1878 Fishblate was elected mayor of Wilmington serving three years After his term he was elected once again as an alderman in the 1880s along with another member of Temple of Israel Solomon Bear Fishblate was elected mayor once again in 1891 Hall Edward Dudley NCpedia March 26 2014 Retrieved January 17 2020 Cope G 1887 Genealogy of the Sharpless Family Bicentennial Committee p 955 Retrieved January 17 2020 History of North Carolina PDF Chicago and new York The Lewis Publishing Company 1919 p 33 He served as mayor of Wilmington from 1891 to 1893 and was also an alderman for two years a b c d Lawrence Kestenbaum ed Mayors of Wilmington North Carolina Political Graveyard Retrieved May 9 2017 1898hist4 UNCW Faculty and Staff Web Pages Retrieved January 15 2020 Marker D 103 NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Retrieved January 15 2020 Dr Silas P Wright the white Republican mayor resigned under pressure as did members of the city council and other officers both black and white Waddell then took office as mayor Tyson Timothy B November 17 2006 The Ghosts of 1898 PDF The News amp Observer De Lancey Haywood M 1906 The Beginnings of Freemasonry in North Carolina and Tennessee Weaver amp Lynch p 58 Retrieved January 15 2020 R D W Connor ed 1918 North Carolina Manual Publications of the Legislative Reference Library North Carolina Historical Commission p 409 Retrieved January 14 2020 Page Walter Hines Page Arthur Wilson 1907 The World s Work Doubleday Page and Company p 9046 Retrieved January 14 2020 United States Congress 1910 Congressional Record U S Government Printing Office p 331 Retrieved January 14 2020 Wilmington N C Directory Richmond Virginia Hill Directory Co 1911 Municipal Journal Municipal Journal and Engineer Incorporated 1913 p 788 Retrieved January 14 2020 The Cumulative Daily Digest of Corporation News Moody Manual Company 1920 p 54 Retrieved January 14 2020 North Carolina 1921 Session Laws and Resolutions Passed by the General Assembly p 1 PA3 Retrieved January 14 2020 Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina The Wilmington Dispatch March 19 2010 Retrieved December 24 2017 Wilmington s first and only woman mayor Cape Fear Historian October 25 2019 Retrieved January 14 2020 a b A Milestone for Women Mayors and North Carolina Our State Magazine November 4 2015 Retrieved January 14 2020 Grant A H Buttenheim H S 1924 The American City Buttenheim Publishing Corporation p 453 Retrieved January 14 2020 Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo holds onto Seat Kevin Spears joins city council November 6 2019 His 2017 win broke the record of Walter H Blair who served for 11 years from 1926 to 1937 Hill s Wilmington City Directory PDF Richmond Virginia Hill Directory Company 1930 p 86 Indianapolis Recorder 3 July 1937 Hoosier State Chronicles Indiana s Digital Historic Newspaper Program July 3 1937 Retrieved January 14 2020 Wilmington Local 129 History Retrieved January 14 2020 Reports of the Tax Court of the United States U S Government Printing Office 1950 p 868 Retrieved January 14 2020 In the spring of 1941 the petitioner was elected mayor of the city of Wilmington The petitioner continued to serve as mayor until November 1942 when he entered the United States Army as a commissioned officer Stallman D A 2004 Echoes of Topsail Stories of the Island s Past Carlisle Printing p 86 ISBN 978 0 9708239 2 2 Retrieved January 17 2020 People Back Home Yank the Army Weekly December 9 1942 Retrieved January 17 2020 permanent dead link Cantwell Si July 24 2009 Who are the Camerons MyReporter com Retrieved January 15 2020 Steelman Ben April 4 2013 Developer Philanthropist Bruce Cameron dies Retrieved January 14 2020 Full Employment Act of 1945 Hearings U S Government Printing Office 1945 pp 1112 1113 Retrieved January 19 2020 War Department Civil Functions Appropriation Bill 1947 Hearings 1946 p 514 Retrieved January 19 2020 PHOTOS Good WILLmington Mission of 1948 July 25 2019 Retrieved January 19 2020 a b c d e f g h i j k l Steelman Ben July 15 2011 How many former Wilmington mayors are still alive www starnewsonline com Retrieved November 9 2017 Defense Housing and Community Facilities Hearings 1951 1951 pp 195 202 Retrieved January 18 2020 In Memory Daniel David Cameron Star News July 7 2005 via Google News a b Wilmington N C Directory Richmond Virginia Hill Directory Co 1963 Steelman Ben November 13 2009 Hannah Block Wilmington civic leader dies www starnewsonline com Retrieved November 9 2017 Ex Wilmington mayor remembered Wilmington Star News July 13 2001 Wilmington City Council Cdm16072 contentdm oclc org May 31 1972 Retrieved February 28 2022 Former Wilmington mayor Ben Halterman 87 dies Wilmington Star News April 9 2013 North Carolina Wilmington Encyclopedia Institute of Southern Jewish Life Retrieved January 14 2020 In 1983 his brother William Schwartz was elected mayor of Wilmington serving for two years Cape Fearians Collection New Hanover County Digital Archives Wilmington New Hanover County Public Library retrieved May 9 2017 Rau Jordan January 28 2021 In the midst of the pandemic a public hospital is gobbled up Fortune Magazine Retrieved November 19 2021 Annual Financial Report New Hanover Regional Medical Center Wilmington North Carolina A Component Unit of New Hanover County North Carolina Years Ended September 30 2019 and 2018 With Report of Independent Auditor PDF New Hanover Regional Medical Center Retrieved November 19 2021 Paavola Alia February 1 2021 Novant buys North Carolina health system Beckers Hospital Review Retrieved November 19 2021 Home Thalian Hall May 16 2013 Retrieved May 21 2013 Welcome to the Hannah S Block Community Arts Center Wilmingtoncommunityarts org April 5 2013 Retrieved May 21 2013 Thalian Association The Official Community Theater of North Carolina Thalian org Retrieved May 21 2013 North Carolina State Community Theater Thalian Association Statesymbolsusa org Retrieved May 21 2013 What is TACT Children s Theater Thalian org Archived from the original on June 16 2013 Retrieved May 21 2013 UNCW Office of Cultural Arts appserv02 uncw edu Archived from the original on September 30 2011 Concerts Weddings Events in Wilmington NC The Brooklyn Arts Center at St Andrews Wilmington NC Retrieved April 28 2017 Progressing Ballet Technique Excel in Dance Training pbt dance Retrieved October 19 2020 Turning Pointe Dance Company s Pinocchio Life 90 5 November 18 2019 Archived from the original on November 24 2020 Retrieved October 19 2020 SIX Full Episodes Video amp More HISTORY Retrieved April 4 2017 Television Archived from the original on July 30 2012 Retrieved May 27 2014 Barth Jack 1991 Feature Film Archived from the original on July 22 2012 Retrieved May 27 2014 Roadside Hollywood The Movie Lover s State By State Guide to Film Locations Celebrity Hangouts Celluloid Tourist Attractions and More Contemporary Books Pages 173 175 ISBN 9780809243266 The brief life and unnecessary death of Brandon Lee EW com April 16 1993 Retrieved July 15 2020 Annual Festival of Independent Film Cucalorus Retrieved May 21 2013 History of the WJFF Wilmington Jewish Film Festival Archived from the original on October 22 2018 Retrieved March 19 2019 Staff Hunter Ingram StarNews EyeCon s One Tree Hill reunion conventions to end Wilmington Star News Retrieved March 19 2019 North Carolina cutting film tax credit program Los Angeles Times August 27 2014 Retrieved May 29 2018 Film Incentives North Carolina Film Office Retrieved May 29 2018 Wilmington Symphony Orchestra Wilmington NC Wilmingtonsymphony org Retrieved May 21 2013 Wilmington Exchange Festival for Art Music and More We Festival Archived from the original on July 18 2013 Retrieved May 21 2013 Festival 2017 Retrieved February 5 2017 Cape Fear Blues Society Wilmington NC Capefearblues org Retrieved May 21 2013 Wilmington NC Cameron Art Museum Retrieved May 21 2013 Cape Fear Museum Cape Fear Museum Retrieved May 21 2013 Welcome to the Children s Museum of Wilmington Playwilmington org Retrieved May 21 2013 Wilmington Railroad Museum Retrieved April 28 2017 Welcome to the Hannah S Block Community Arts Center Retrieved April 28 2017 WWII Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition Wilbur Jones Compositions L L C Wilburjones com Retrieved May 21 2013 NC Azalea Festival Art Gardens Culture Wilmington NC ncazaleafestival org October 20 2020 Retrieved June 2 2022 GateHouse Gannett merger is official creating largest U S newspaper chain MarketWatch Associated Press Retrieved April 16 2021 Davidson Paul May 8 2008 Wilmington N C to test mandatory switch to digital TV USA Today Article no longer available Teinowitz Ira FCC Confirms Wilmington as Digital Test Market TVWeek Retrieved May 21 2013 John Eggerton May 10 2008 Wilmington Pulls Plug on Analog Broadcasting Cable Retrieved June 2 2022 Dunbar John Wilmington TV broadcasters make switch to digital StarNewsOnline com Retrieved May 21 2013 Cape Fear Rugby Club Honesti Supra Et Atque Campum Holaday Chris 2016 The Tobacco State League A North Carolina Baseball History 1946 1950 Jefferson N C McFarland ISBN 978 1 4766 6670 9 The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia Sterling Publishing 2007 p 1789 ISBN 978 1 4027 4771 7 Creek Tidal Three Awesome Places to Go Surfing in Wilmington NC Tidal Creek Retrieved October 20 2020 Steelman Ben October 10 2003 Medal of Honor winners remembered Archived October 20 2020 at the Wayback Machine starnewsonline Retrieved October 19 2020 Thompson Wright May 19 2020 Michael Jordan A history of flight ESPN Retrieved May 19 2020 Staton John April 14 2022 What we ve learned about Michael Jordan s impact in his hometown of Wilmington Star News Retrieved April 14 2022 a b c d Wilmington s Sister Cities Sister Cities Association of Wilmington Retrieved December 3 2021 Further reading EditSee also Bibliography of the history of Wilmington North Carolina Wilmington Directory 1860 1865 1867 1871 1879 1889 1900 1911External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilmington North Carolina Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Wilmington Official website of Wilmington NC Wilmington the principal seaport and largest city of North Carolina The American Cyclopaedia 1879 Wilmington N C The New Student s Reference Work 1914 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wilmington North Carolina amp oldid 1132855782, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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