Wilmington, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat
of New Hanover County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area
that covers New Hanover, Brunswick
, and Pender
counties in southeastern North Carolina, which has a population of 362,315 according to Census 2010 official results. It was named in honor of Spencer Compton
, the Earl of Wilmington, who was Prime Minister
under King George II
.
Wilmington was settled on the Cape Fear River
. It offers a historic downtown with a one-mile-long Riverwalk as a main tourist attraction. It is minutes away from nearby beaches. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Wilmington, North Carolina, one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. City residents have the advantage of living between the river and the ocean. Wilmington has three beach communities in the surrounding area. Wrightsville, Carolina, and Kure beach are all 20 to 30 minute drives from downtown Wilmington.
In 2003 the city was designated by the US Congress, as "A Coast Guard City". The city is home port for the , a United States Coast Guard
medium endurance cutter.
It is the site of the World War II battleship . Now a war memorial, the ship is open to public tours and is on display across from the downtown port area. Other attractions include the Cape Fear Museum
, the Wilmington Hammerheads
USL
soccer team, and the training camp site for the Charlotte Bobcats
. The University of North Carolina Wilmington provides a wide variety of programs for undergraduates, graduate students and adult learners, in addition to cultural and sports events open to the community.
Wilmington is the home of EUE Screen Gems Studios, the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside of California. "Dream Stage 10," the facility's newest sound stage, is the third-largest in the US. It houses the largest special-effects water tank in North America. Since the studio's opening in 1984, Wilmington has become a major center of American film and television production. Movies such as A Walk To Remember, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
, Blue Velvet, Weekend at Bernie's
, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
, Empire Records
, Cape Fear
, Black Knight
, Super Mario Bros
28 Days
, The Crow
, Nights in Rodanthe
, Firestarter
, Maximum Overdrive
, The Jackal, Sleeping with the Enemy
, The Hudsucker Proxy
, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
, Message in a Bottle
, Domestic Disturbance
, Cat's Eye, The Road to Wellville
, No Mercy
and Hounddog; as well as television shows such as Matlock
, Surface
, The WB's Dawson's Creek
and One Tree Hill
and the HBO series Eastbound & Down
have been produced there.
and Barbados
, bringing with them their reliance on African slave labor, which was soon part of the culture in the area.
Planters and small farmers used slave labor to exploit the region's natural resources. The forest provided the region's major industries through the 18th and most of the 19th centuries: naval stores
and lumber fueled the economy both before and after the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, the British maintained a garrison at Fort Johnson
near Wilmington.
, the port was a major base for Confederate
blockade runners. It 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. Since almost all the military action took place some distance from the city, a number of antebellum homes and other buildings are still extant.
newspaper The Daily Record and set fire to the building in retaliation for an editorial which they said "insulted white womanhood". It was attributed to the paper's editor Alex Manly. The mob went to the north side of town, an area of concentrated black residents, where it lynched and murdered an unknown number of African Americans. The city then had a black majority with a rising middle class; the racial violence turned back the clock for many families. The number reported killed in the white press was nine; oral traditions of African-American families say scores were killed. Many hundreds of blacks were run out of town; some hid in the swamp for safety. No whites were killed during the events, but both black and white prominent business and community leaders opposed to white supremacy were driven off.
At the same time, the mob with the threat of paramilitary force turned out the biracial government of the city: the Republican
mayor and city council were forced to resign their offices. The mob installed their leader as mayor, effectively establishing a de facto coup d'état
in the city, the only successful such action in U.S. history. The events in Wilmington—which was then the largest city in the state—contributed to white conservative Democrats
in North Carolina regaining political power and taking over the state legislature. Democrats turned out the previous Fusionist government. The state legislature proceeded to pass laws to disfranchise black voters by constitutional amendments and laws that raised obstacles for registration and voting, and proceeded to pass Jim Crow laws
for public segregation, conditions which lasted until the African-American Civil Rights Movement
in the United States in the second half of the 20th century.
Before the centennial of the event, a grassroots effort arose in the city to grapple with the complex and emotional history associated with it. A number of events, teaching sessions, and large discussions were held throughout the city to explore the many aspects of this history. Committees associated with this effort were chaired by pairs of African Americans and European Americans, to ensure both races were heard.
Since then, the state and city committed to other work to understand the past and try to correct some of the longstanding effects. They appointed an "1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission" to prepare a report of recommendations to address the wrongs committed. In 2006, the Commission completed its official report on the event. Consisting of thirteen commissioners appointed by the legislature, the governor, mayor and city council of Wilmington, the commission was assisted by the staff of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. They used the experience of the Rosewood Report (completed 1993), and the Tulsa
Report (completed 2001) as a model and set out to provide detailed explanations for the causes and effects of the riots and to propose a series of recommendations to address the wrongs perpetrated by earlier generations. The resolution also apologized to those affected by the riots and their repercussions and renounced these actions. In 2008, six 16 ft. tall bronze sculptures by Ayokunle Odeleye went on display as part of a memorial for the city of Wilmington. Wilmington has many things to see, including the Burgwin & Wright house. That house was there in the 1700s and before. It used to be a prison.
The city also was the site of three prisoner-of-war (POW) camps 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
.
Wilmington is located at 34°13′24"N 77°54′44"W (34.223232, -77.912122). It is the Eastern Terminus of a major East-West Interstate 40
which ends at Barstow, California
, where it joins I-15, the Gateway to Southern California, some 2,554 miles away, passing 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 (107.5 km²). 41 square miles (106.2 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (1.16%) is water.
(Koppen
Cfa), typical of the southeastern US.
Wilmington boasts one of the largest historic districts encompassing nearly 300 blocks.
Old abandoned warehouses on downtown's northern end have been recently demolished making room for multi-million dollar projects such as PPD's World Headquarters and a state of the art convention center due to officially open in January 2011.
Downtown/Old Wilmington is home to Historic Neighborhoods and buildings such as the Sir Water Wilmington Hotel Build in the late 20th Century, the restored City Market.
, an Economic "Think Tank" based in California, also included the NC cities of Charlotte and Raleigh.
's Uniform Crime Reports
, have decreased in 6 of the 8 reported categories.
of 2000, there were 75,838 people, 34,359 households, and 17,351 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,849.8 people per square mile (714.2/km²). There were 38,678 housing units at an average density of 943.4 per square mile (364.2/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 70.57% White, 25.82% Black or African American
, 2.63% Hispanic or Latino American
, 0.90% Asian American
, 0.35% Native American
, 0.09% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
, 1.14% some other race
, and 1.13% two or more races
.
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.
(ILM) serves the area with commercial air service provided by Allegiant Air
, American Airlines
, Delta Air Lines
and US Airways
. US Airways
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 800,000 travelers per year. This very airport was the original idea of the Wright Brothers which was spread on until enough funds were created to make it. The airport is also home to two fixed base operations (FBO's) which 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. Dept of Agriculture and the U.S. Dept of Immigration. The airport is 4 miles from downtown.
border to the Wilmington area and turns west and north into Jacksonville
. The road was named in 1933.
, 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
.
The NC-DOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex
to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA
600 km brevet route.
The City of Wilmington offers transient docking facilities in the center of Downtown Wilmington along the Cape Fear River approximately 12.5 miles from the Intracoastal Waterway
. The river depth in the run up from the ICW is in excess of 40 feet.
Wilmington Ranks #32nd in the nation on Forbes Magazine's
"Best Places for Business and Careers" 2010.
Wilmington Ranks #14 in the nation on Fortune Small Business Magazine's "Best Places for a Start-Up"
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.
Wilmington is home to the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
, the oldest Chamber in North Carolina, organized in 1853.
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.
Local stages include:
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.
Celebrating its 29th year, The North Carolina Jazz Festival is a three-day traditional jazz festival which features world-renowned jazz musicians.
The Cape Fear Blues Society is a driving force behind Blues music in Wilmington, N.C. 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 & 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.
The local music scene in Wilmington, NC is also very diverse and abundant. The Soapbox Bar and Lounge in downtown Wilmington is known for having the greatest bands around come and play. With bands like Rio Bravo which bring a more modern style of music to wilmington or bands like Root Soul Project, which is exactly what it says it is; music for the soul. Another popular venue is The Rusty Nail at 1310 S. 5th Ave. The Nail is likely the closest thing you'll find to an authentic juke joint in Wilmington and it regularly features Blues, Jazz and Americana music.
Wilmington is also a popular spot for Carolina shag dancing enthusiasts.
(channel 29 on Time Warner Cable
and channel 17 on Charter Communications
). Cable news station News 14 Carolina
also maintains its coastal bureau in Wilmington.
On September 8, 2008, at 12 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. 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. W47CK did not participate due to its low-power status; FCC rules currently exempt low-powered stations from the 2009 analog shutdown. WILM-LP and W51CW chose to participate, even though they are exempt as LPTV stations.
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.
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 in Wilmington.
The Wilmington Sea Dawgs
are a Premier Basketball League
(PBL) team in Wilmington that began its inaugural season with the American Basketball Association
(ABA) in November 2006.
The Wilmington Hammerheads
were a professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. 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 explained that they had discontinued their relationship with the franchise owner Chuck Sullivan. The Hammerheads franchise will be returning 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 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 4 July weekend; hosting teams from all over the world. They own their own rugby pitch located at 21st and Chestnut St.
In 1914 the Philadelphia Phillies
held spring training
in Wilmington.
— 1986 Doncaster, United Kingdom
— 1989 Bridgetown, Barbados
— 2004
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of New Hanover County
New Hanover County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 160,307 people, 68,183 households, and 41,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 806 people per square mile . There were 79,616 housing units at an average density of 400 per square mile...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
that covers New Hanover, Brunswick
Brunswick County, North Carolina
-External links:*******....
, and Pender
Pender County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 41,082 people, 16,054 households, and 11,719 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 20,798 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
counties in southeastern North Carolina, which has a population of 362,315 according to Census 2010 official results. It was named in honor of Spencer Compton
Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington
Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington KG, KB, PC was a British Whig statesman who served continuously in government from 1715 until his death. He served as the nominal head of government from 1742 until his death in 1743, but was merely a figurehead for the true leader of the government, Lord...
, the Earl of Wilmington, who was Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
under King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
.
Wilmington was settled on the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
. It offers a historic downtown with a one-mile-long Riverwalk as a main tourist attraction. It is minutes away from nearby beaches. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Wilmington, North Carolina, one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. City residents have the advantage of living between the river and the ocean. Wilmington has three beach communities in the surrounding area. Wrightsville, Carolina, and Kure beach are all 20 to 30 minute drives from downtown Wilmington.
In 2003 the city was designated by the US Congress, as "A Coast Guard City". The city is home port for the , a United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
medium endurance cutter.
It is the site of the World War II battleship . Now a war memorial, the ship is open to public tours and is on display across from the downtown port area. Other attractions include the Cape Fear Museum
Cape Fear Museum
Cape Fear Museum of History and Science is a museum at 814 Market Street, Wilmington, North Carolina.Founded in 1898, it is the oldest history museum in North Carolina....
, the Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
USL
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
soccer team, and the training camp site for the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
. The University of North Carolina Wilmington provides a wide variety of programs for undergraduates, graduate students and adult learners, in addition to cultural and sports events open to the community.
Wilmington is the home of EUE Screen Gems Studios, the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside of California. "Dream Stage 10," the facility's newest sound stage, is the third-largest in the US. It houses the largest special-effects water tank in North America. Since the studio's opening in 1984, Wilmington has become a major center of American film and television production. Movies such as A Walk To Remember, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (film)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a 2002 American comedy-drama film starring Sandra Bullock and Ashley Judd, directed and written by Callie Khouri...
, Blue Velvet, Weekend at Bernie's
Weekend at Bernie's
Weekend at Bernie's is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Ted Kotcheff. A comedy starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman features the two as a couple of young insurance agency employees who discover their boss is deceased...
, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American live-action film adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise directed by Steve Barron. The film was followed by three sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, and...
, Empire Records
Empire Records
Empire Records is a 1995 coming of age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees of this independent music store try to fight off a large chain, all while learning about each other...
, Cape Fear
Cape Fear (1991 film)
Cape Fear is a 1991 thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and a remake of the 1962 film of the same name. It stars Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis and features cameos from Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam, who all appeared in the 1962 original film...
, Black Knight
Black Knight (film)
Black Knight is a 2001 American comedy film starring Martin Lawrence. The film was directed by Gil Junger, whose experience was primarily with television sitcoms...
, Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros. (film)
Super Mario Bros. is a 1993 American action film directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. Based on the Super Mario Bros.video game and its entire franchise, the film features Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper and Samantha Mathis. It tells the story of the Mario brothers, Mario and...
28 Days
28 Days (film)
28 Days is a 2000 American drama film directed by Betty Thomas. Sandra Bullock plays Gwen Cummings, a newspaper columnist obliged to enter rehabilitation for alcoholism. The film costars Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West, Elizabeth Perkins, Steve Buscemi and Diane Ladd.-Plot:Gwen Cummings borrows the...
, The Crow
The Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
, Nights in Rodanthe
Nights in Rodanthe
Nights in Rodanthe is a 2008 American/Australian film adaptation of the novel with the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane in their third screen collaboration after Unfaithful and The Cotton Club . The film is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for "some sensuality" and...
, Firestarter
Firestarter (film)
Firestarter is a 1984 science fiction thriller film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The plot concerns a young girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency which seeks to control her. The film was directed by Mark L. Lester, and stars Drew Barrymore and David...
, Maximum Overdrive
Maximum Overdrive
Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American action-horror-science fiction film written and directed by novelist Stephen King. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story, Trucks, which was included in King's first collection of short stories, Night Shift.Maximum Overdrive is...
, The Jackal, Sleeping with the Enemy
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991 film)
Sleeping with the Enemy is a 1991 psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Julia Roberts. The film is based on Nancy Price's 1987 novel of the same name...
, The Hudsucker Proxy
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Hudsucker Proxy is a 1994 screwball comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director....
, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a 2004 black comedy film directed by Brad Silberling. It is an adaptation of the The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window, being the first three books in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket...
, Message in a Bottle
Message in a Bottle (film)
Message in a Bottle is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki. Based on a novel with the same name by Nicholas Sparks, the film stars Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, and Paul Newman...
, Domestic Disturbance
Domestic Disturbance
Domestic Disturbance is a 2001 thriller film directed by Harold Becker and stars John Travolta and Vince Vaughn. It co-stars Teri Polo, Matt O'Leary and Steve Buscemi.-Plot:...
, Cat's Eye, The Road to Wellville
The Road to Wellville
The Road to Wellville is a 1993 novel by American author T. Coraghessan Boyle. Set in Battle Creek, Michigan during the early days of breakfast cereals, the story includes a historical fictionalization of John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of corn flakes....
, No Mercy
No Mercy (film)
No Mercy is a 1986 film starring Richard Gere and Kim Basinger about a cop who accepts an offer to kill a Cajun gangster.-Plot:Eddie Jilette is a Chicago cop on the vengeance trail as he follows his partner's killers to New Orleans to settle his own personal score...
and Hounddog; as well as television shows such as Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
, Surface
Surface
In mathematics, specifically in topology, a surface is a two-dimensional topological manifold. The most familiar examples are those that arise as the boundaries of solid objects in ordinary three-dimensional Euclidean space R3 — for example, the surface of a ball...
, The WB's Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
and One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
and the HBO series Eastbound & Down
Eastbound & Down
Eastbound & Down is an American comedy television series broadcast on HBO, starring Danny McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher, who after an up and down career in the major leagues is forced to return to his hometown middle-school in Shelby, North Carolina, as a...
have been produced there.
History
After the French and the Spanish, it was not until the 1720s that English colonists established the first permanent European settlement in the area. The town of Wilmington was incorporated in 1739. Numerous early settlers came from the colonies of South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, bringing with them their reliance on African slave labor, which was soon part of the culture in the area.
Planters and small farmers used slave labor to exploit the region's natural resources. The forest provided the region's major industries through the 18th and most of the 19th centuries: naval stores
Naval stores
Naval Stores is a broad term which originally applied to the resin-based components used in building and maintaining wooden sailing ships, a category which includes cordage, mask, turpentine, rosin, pitch and tar...
and lumber fueled the economy both before and after the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, the British maintained a garrison at Fort Johnson
Fort Johnson
This article is about the War of 1812 fortification:*For the community in New York, see Fort Johnson, New York*For the Revolutionary War British garrison named Fort Johnson see Wilmington, North Carolina...
near Wilmington.
Civil War
During the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the port was a major base for Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
blockade runners. It was captured by Union forces in the Battle of Wilmington
Battle of Wilmington
The Battle of Wilmington was fought February 11 – February 22, 1865, during the American Civil War. It was a direct result of the Union victory at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher.-Background:...
in February 1865, approximately one month after the fall of Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
had closed the port. Since almost all the military action took place some distance from the city, a number of antebellum homes and other buildings are still extant.
Massacre of 1898
In November 1898 Wilmington was the scene of a violent attack by a well-organized group of whites who destroyed the printing press of the African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
newspaper The Daily Record and set fire to the building in retaliation for an editorial which they said "insulted white womanhood". It was attributed to the paper's editor Alex Manly. The mob went to the north side of town, an area of concentrated black residents, where it lynched and murdered an unknown number of African Americans. The city then had a black majority with a rising middle class; the racial violence turned back the clock for many families. The number reported killed in the white press was nine; oral traditions of African-American families say scores were killed. Many hundreds of blacks were run out of town; some hid in the swamp for safety. No whites were killed during the events, but both black and white prominent business and community leaders opposed to white supremacy were driven off.
At the same time, the mob with the threat of paramilitary force turned out the biracial government of the city: the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
mayor and city council were forced to resign their offices. The mob installed their leader as mayor, effectively establishing a de facto coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in the city, the only successful such action in U.S. history. The events in Wilmington—which was then the largest city in the state—contributed to white conservative Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in North Carolina regaining political power and taking over the state legislature. Democrats turned out the previous Fusionist government. The state legislature proceeded to pass laws to disfranchise black voters by constitutional amendments and laws that raised obstacles for registration and voting, and proceeded to pass Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
for public segregation, conditions which lasted until the African-American Civil Rights Movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
in the United States in the second half of the 20th century.
Before the centennial of the event, a grassroots effort arose in the city to grapple with the complex and emotional history associated with it. A number of events, teaching sessions, and large discussions were held throughout the city to explore the many aspects of this history. Committees associated with this effort were chaired by pairs of African Americans and European Americans, to ensure both races were heard.
Since then, the state and city committed to other work to understand the past and try to correct some of the longstanding effects. They appointed an "1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission" to prepare a report of recommendations to address the wrongs committed. In 2006, the Commission completed its official report on the event. Consisting of thirteen commissioners appointed by the legislature, the governor, mayor and city council of Wilmington, the commission was assisted by the staff of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. They used the experience of the Rosewood Report (completed 1993), and the Tulsa
Tulsa Race Riot
The Tulsa race riot was a large-scale racially motivated conflict, May 31 - June 1st 1921, between the white and black communities of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in which the wealthiest African-American community in the United States, the Greenwood District also known as 'The Negro Wall St' was burned to the...
Report (completed 2001) as a model and set out to provide detailed explanations for the causes and effects of the riots and to propose a series of recommendations to address the wrongs perpetrated by earlier generations. The resolution also apologized to those affected by the riots and their repercussions and renounced these actions. In 2008, six 16 ft. tall bronze sculptures by Ayokunle Odeleye went on display as part of a memorial for the city of Wilmington. Wilmington has many things to see, including the Burgwin & Wright house. That house was there in the 1700s and before. It used to be a prison.
Twentieth century to present
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 there built 243 ships during the five years it was in operation.The city also was the site of three prisoner-of-war (POW) camps from February 1944 through April 1946. At their peak, the camps held 550 German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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
Wilmington International Airport
-Other operations:As of August 2011, Wilmington International Airport has 134 aircraft that are based at the Airport. There are 100 single engine aircraft, 27 multi-engine aircraft, 7 jet engine aircraft, and 3 helicopters...
.
Geography
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
which ends at Barstow, California
Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
, where it joins I-15, the Gateway to Southern California, some 2,554 miles away, passing through many major cities and state capitals along the way.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 41.5 square miles (107.5 km²). 41 square miles (106.2 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (1.16%) is water.
Climate
Wilmington has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa), typical of the southeastern US.
- Winters are generally mild with January highs in the mid 50s °F (12-13 °C) and lows in the mid 30s °F (1-2 °C). Snowfall occurs only on some years, and is generally light.
- Spring is reasonably lengthy, beginning in late February and lasting to early May. The presence of abundant dense vegetationVegetationVegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
in the area causes significant pollenPollenPollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
dusting in the springtime that tends to turn rooftops and cars yellow. - Summer brings high humidity with temperatures frequently in the upper 80s - lower 90s °F (32 - 34 °C). Heat indicesHeat indexThe heat index is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine the human-perceived equivalent temperature — how hot it feels, termed the felt air temperature. The human body normally cools itself by perspiration, or sweating, which evaporates and carries...
can easily break the 100 °F (37.8 °C) mark, though highs normally do not. Due to the proximity of warm Atlantic Ocean waters, the area may be hit by a tropical cycloneTropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
during the summer, at an average of once every seven years. - Autumn is also generally humid at the beginning, with the same tropical threats as the summer. Some of the deciduous trees may lose their leavesLeaves-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
; however most trees in the area are evergreenEvergreenIn botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
s and therefore remain green year-round.
- January mean temperature: 46.1 °F (7.8 °C)
- July mean temperature: 81.1 °F (27.3 °C)
- Nights ≤ 32 °F (0 °C): 39
- Days ≥ 90 °F (32.2 °C): 46
- Highest Recorded Temperature: 104 °F (40 °C) (June 27, 1952)
- Lowest Recorded Temperature: 0 °F (-17.8 °C) (December 25, 1989)
- Annual Precipitation: 57.1 inches (145 cm)
- Wettest day: 13.38 inches (34 cm), on September 15, 1999
- Wettest month on record: 23.41 inches (59.5 cm), September 1999
- Winter average snowfall: 2.1 inches (5.3 cm) (the median amount is 0)
Cityscape
Old abandoned warehouses on downtown's northern end have been recently demolished making room for multi-million dollar projects such as PPD's World Headquarters and a state of the art convention center due to officially open in January 2011.
Downtown/Old Wilmington is home to Historic Neighborhoods and buildings such as the Sir Water Wilmington Hotel Build in the late 20th Century, the restored City Market.
| Downtown Monuments and Historic Buildings |
|---|
| The George Davis Monument The George Davis Monument The George Davis Monument in Wilmington, North Carolina was sculpted by Francis Herman Packer a native from Munich, Germany who worked out of New York. Funding for Mr. Packer’s travel to and from Wilmington was provided directly from Mr. James Sprunt. The casting of the monument was done by the... |
| The Confederate Memorial Confederate Memorial (Wilmington, North Carolina) Located at the plaza of South Third and Dock Street in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, the bronze and granite Confederate Memorial stands honoring Confederate soldiers who fought for the Confederacy.- Description :... |
| The Bellamy Mansion Bellamy Mansion The Bellamy Mansion, located in historic downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, was built between 1858 and 1861. Located on Market Street in the heart of downtown Wilmington, this spectacular mansion is one of North Carolina’s finest examples of historic architecture... |
| Cotton Exchange of Wilmington Cotton Exchange of Wilmington The Cotton Exchange of Wilmington, North Carolina is a shopping complex consisting of over eight historical buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is so named due to the inclusion of the Old James Sprunt Cotton Exchange building; a business who claimed to be the... |
| The Temple of Israel Temple of Israel (Wilmington, North Carolina) The Temple of Israel is a Jewish house of prayer located on the corner of Fourth and Market Streets in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. Built in 1876, the Temple of Israel is the oldest synagogue in North Carolina and one of the earliest Reform synagogues in the American South... |
| The Murchison Building Murchison Building The Murchison Building is an eleven-story brick and marble building in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. It occupies the corner of Front and Chestnut Street... |
Economy
Wilmington's industrial base includes electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment; clothing and apparel; food processing; paper products; and pharmaceuticals. Wilmington is part of North Carolina's Research coast, one of the Country's research parks adjacent to the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, NC. Also important to Wilmington's economy is tourism due to its close proximity to the ocean and vibrant nightlife. Film production also plays an important role in the city's economy. Wilmington North Carolina was #2 in the Nation in a national study for 2007 projected job growth. This list of 25 top cities, compiled by the Milken InstituteMilken Institute
The Milken Institute is an independent economic think tank based in Santa Monica, California that publishes research and hosts conferences that apply market-based principles and financial innovations to a variety of societal issues in the US and internationally.The mission of the Institute, founded...
, an Economic "Think Tank" based in California, also included the NC cities of Charlotte and Raleigh.
Crime
Over the last 3 years crime rates, as reported through the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's Uniform Crime Reports
Uniform Crime Reports
The Uniform Crime Reports are published by the United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Program...
, have 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 |
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 75,838 people, 34,359 households, and 17,351 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,849.8 people per square mile (714.2/km²). There were 38,678 housing units at an average density of 943.4 per square mile (364.2/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 70.57% White, 25.82% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 2.63% Hispanic or Latino American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, 0.90% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.35% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.09% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 1.14% some other race
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.13% two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
.
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
Airport
The Wilmington International AirportWilmington International Airport
-Other operations:As of August 2011, Wilmington International Airport has 134 aircraft that are based at the Airport. There are 100 single engine aircraft, 27 multi-engine aircraft, 7 jet engine aircraft, and 3 helicopters...
(ILM) serves the area with commercial air service provided by Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
and US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
. US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
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 800,000 travelers per year. This very airport was the original idea of the Wright Brothers which was spread on until enough funds were created to make it. The airport is also home to two fixed base operations (FBO's) which 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. Dept of Agriculture and the U.S. Dept of Immigration. The airport is 4 miles from downtown.
Interstate Highways
- Interstate 40Interstate 40 in North CarolinaInterstate 40 runs through the state of North Carolina from the Tennessee state line in the west to its eastern terminus in Wilmington.-Pigeon River Gorge:...
(eastern terminus is in Wilmington)
- Interstate 20Interstate 20Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
(Future)
U.S. Routes
runs from the North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
border to the Wilmington area and turns west and north into Jacksonville
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Jacksonville, North Carolina, is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the population stood at 70,145, which makes Jacksonville the 14th largest city in North Carolina...
. The road was named in 1933.
- U.S.Route 74 is a more direct path from CharlotteCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, through Lumberton, North CarolinaLumberton, North CarolinaLumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,795 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Robeson County. Lumberton, located in southern North Carolina's Inner Banks region, is located on the Lumber River...
, and into Wilmington proper. The route crosses the Cape Fear RiverCape Fear RiverThe Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
by means of the Cape Fear Memorial BridgeCape Fear Memorial BridgeThe Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is a steel vertical-lift bridge in North Carolina. It carries U.S. Route 17 Business, U.S. Route 76, and U.S. Route 421 across the Cape Fear River between Brunswick County and New Hanover County. It also carried U.S. Route 74 until that designation was shifted to the...
and is the popular entrance to the area shown in most photographs and movies. is a route from Florence, South CarolinaFlorence, South Carolina-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
that runs into the city coexistent with US Route 74 from Whiteville, North CarolinaWhiteville, North CarolinaWhiteville is a city in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,148 at the 2000 census. It is the only city of Columbus County and is the county seat....
in the west.
- U.S. Route 117U.S. Route 117U.S. Route 117 was a north–south US Highway that ran for from Norlina, North Carolina to Virginia. Established in 1927, US 117 traveled from Norlina, through the towns of Warrenton, Roanoke Rapids, and Murfreesboro; from there it went north into Virginia. In 1932, US 117 was removed from this...
Alternate transportation options
Public transit in the area is provided by the Cape Fear Public Transportation AuthorityCape Fear Public Transportation Authority
The Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, operating as Wave Transit, is the public transportation operator for the metro area of Wilmington, North Carolina. Ten regular routes are provided, with all but one running seven days per week...
, which operates fixed bus routes, shuttles, and a free downtown trolley under the brand name Wave Transit. A daily intercity bus service to Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
is provided by Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
.
The NC-DOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex
Apex, North Carolina
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 37,476 according to the 2010 census., wakegov.com-Geography:Apex is located at ....
to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA
Randonneurs USA
Randonneurs USA or RUSA is the Audax Club Parisien-approved brevet coordinating organization for the United States. U.S. Cyclists riding in the Paris–Brest–Paris qualify for the event through RUSA...
600 km brevet route.
The City of Wilmington offers transient docking facilities in the center of Downtown Wilmington along the Cape Fear River approximately 12.5 miles from the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
. The river depth in the run up from the ICW is in excess of 40 feet.
Business
Wilmington experienced staggering growth in the 1990s, ranking at one point as the second fastest growing city in the country, behind only Las Vegas. Economists have forecast growth in the Greater Wilmington area to be the fastest in the state between 2004 and 2010, averaging 7%.Wilmington Ranks #32nd in the nation on Forbes Magazine's
"Best Places for Business and Careers" 2010.
Wilmington Ranks #14 in the nation on Fortune Small Business Magazine's "Best Places for a Start-Up"
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, Wilmington is a sizable seaport, including private marine terminals and the North Carolina State Ports Authority's
North Carolina State Ports Authority
The North Carolina State Ports Authority is an authority set up by the state of North Carolina to develop and operate seaports in Wilmington and Morehead City, two inland container facilities, one in Charlotte and one in Greensboro, and a marina in Southport. It is planning a large international...
Port of Wilmington.
Wilmington is home to the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Originally organized in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1853, the was incorporated in 1866 by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly. At that time, Wilmington business leaders appreciated the potential of North Carolina’s largest city and sought to lend guidance to the economic direction of...
, the oldest Chamber in North Carolina, organized in 1853.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hanover Health Network | 4,890 |
| 2 | New Hanover County Schools | 4,130 |
| 3 | General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... |
3,000 |
| 4 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | 1,810 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical Product Development Pharmaceutical Product Development Pharmaceutical Product Development is a leading global contract research organization providing discovery, development and post-approval services as well as compound partnering programs. The company’s clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and... |
1,800 |
| 6 | New Hanover County New Hanover County, North Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 160,307 people, 68,183 households, and 41,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 806 people per square mile . There were 79,616 housing units at an average density of 400 per square mile... |
1,670 |
| 7 | Cape Fear Community College Cape Fear Community College Cape Fear Community College is a two year college located in Wilmington, North Carolina.CFCC is the fifth largest community college in the state with over 27,000 students taking classes every year... |
1,260 |
| 8 | Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America.... |
1,200 |
| 9 | City of Wilmington | 1,075 |
| 10 | Corning | 1,000 |
Universities and colleges
- University of North Carolina at WilmingtonUniversity of North Carolina at WilmingtonThe University of North Carolina at Wilmington, sometimes referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina...
- Cape Fear Community CollegeCape Fear Community CollegeCape Fear Community College is a two year college located in Wilmington, North Carolina.CFCC is the fifth largest community college in the state with over 27,000 students taking classes every year...
- Shaw UniversityShaw UniversityShaw University, founded as Raleigh Institute, is a private liberal arts institution and historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest HBCU in the Southern United States....
satellite campus - Mount Olive CollegeMount Olive CollegeMount Olive College is a private liberal arts college located in Mount Olive, North Carolina. Founded in 1951, the college is supported by the Original Free Will Baptist Convention of North Carolina...
satellite campus
Schools
Public Schools in Wilmington are operated by the New Hanover County Public School System.High schools
- Eugene Ashley High SchoolEugene Ashley High SchoolEugene Ashley High School is a high school just outside Wilmington, North Carolina. The facility opened in 2001. The school is located at 555 Halyburton Memorial Parkway in Wilmington, North Carolina....
- John T. Hoggard High SchoolJohn T. Hoggard High SchoolJohn T. Hoggard High School is a public high school in the New Hanover County School System in Wilmington, North Carolina.-The Naming of the Highschool:Dr. John T. Hoggard is the eponym for Hoggard High School. Dr...
- Isaac Bear Early College High SchoolIsaac Bear Early College High SchoolIsaac Bear Early College High School, also called Isaac Bear, is a selective-enrollment School at 630 MacMillan Avenue, Wilmington, North Carolina. The premises are situated on UNCW campus. New Hanover County Schools operates this school with the support of the local college, the University of...
- Emsley A. Laney High SchoolEmsley A. Laney High SchoolEmsley A. Laney High School is a high school in Wilmington, North Carolina, named in honor of a distinguished local businessman who served on the New Hanover County Board of Education 1941-1973....
- New Hanover High SchoolNew Hanover High SchoolNew Hanover High School is a high school located in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. New Hanover High is now the oldest present high school built in Wilmington. Recently the original building underwent a complete renovation to update the 1919 school to the 21st century. New Hanover is also the...
- Mosley Performance Learning Center
- Wilmington Early College High School
Middle schools
- Holly Shelter Middle
- Murray Middle
- Myrtle Grove Middle
- Noble Middle
- Roland-Grise Middle
- Trask Middle
- Williston Middle
Primary schools
- Walter L. Parsley Elementary School
- Alderman
- Anderson
- Bellamy
- Blair
- Bradley Creek
- Codington
- College Park
- Forest Hills
- Holly Tree
- Ogden
- Pine Valley
- Snipes Academy of Arts and Design
- Sunset Park
- Winter Park
- Wrightsville Beach
Academies and alternate schools
- Cape Fear AcademyCape Fear AcademyCape Fear Academy is a coeducational day school with 630 students and is a non-profit organization unaffiliated with any other institution, group, or church. Cape Fear Academy strives to be "a learning community sharing a commitment to respect, integrity, academic excellence, and service to...
- The Lyceum AcademyThe Lyceum AcademyThe Lyceum Academy was established by Gordon Massengill in 1998 at New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. Inspired by Aristotle's famous Greek Lyceum, the modern Lyceum Academy educates high school students in an accelerated college preparatory program...
- Wilmington Christian Academy
- Coastal Christian
- St. Mary Catholic SchoolSt. Mary Catholic Church (Wilmington, North Carolina)Saint Mary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Diocese of Raleigh.-Architecture:Its historic main church is of the Spanish Baroque style. It was designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino, who is known for his work on the Biltmore Estate, Basilica...
- Friends School of WilmingtonFriends School of WilmingtonFriends School of Wilmington is a private/independent Quaker school with a Montessori preschool located in New Hanover County in Wilmington, NC. The school was founded in 1995 by the Wilmington Friends Meeting and has grown from a middle school for 30 students in rented space in downtown...
Performing arts
The city supports a very active calendar with its showcase theater, the Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, 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.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.
Local stages include:
- The Red Barn Studio
- Level 5 at City Stage
- Opera House Theater
- The Brown Coat Pub & Theater
- The Cape Fear Playhouse (home of Big Dawg Productions)
Film
Since 1995, Wilmington hosts an annual, nationally recognized, independent film festival, the "Cucalorus". It is the keystone event of The Cucalorus Film Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Foundation also sponsors weekly screenings, several short documentary projects and the annual Kids Festival, with hands on film-making workshops.Music
The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra was established in 1971 and offers throughout the year a series of five classical performances, and a Free Family Concert.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
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
each year. It is currently in its 13th year.
Celebrating its 29th year, The North Carolina Jazz Festival is a three-day traditional jazz festival which features world-renowned jazz musicians.
The Cape Fear Blues Society is a driving force behind Blues music in Wilmington, N.C. 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 & 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.
The local music scene in Wilmington, NC is also very diverse and abundant. The Soapbox Bar and Lounge in downtown Wilmington is known for having the greatest bands around come and play. With bands like Rio Bravo which bring a more modern style of music to wilmington or bands like Root Soul Project, which is exactly what it says it is; music for the soul. Another popular venue is The Rusty Nail at 1310 S. 5th Ave. The Nail is likely the closest thing you'll find to an authentic juke joint in Wilmington and it regularly features Blues, Jazz and Americana music.
Wilmington is also a popular spot for Carolina shag dancing enthusiasts.
Museums and Historic Areas
- Cameron Art Museum http://cameronartmuseum.com
- The Bellamy MansionBellamy MansionThe Bellamy Mansion, located in historic downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, was built between 1858 and 1861. Located on Market Street in the heart of downtown Wilmington, this spectacular mansion is one of North Carolina’s finest examples of historic architecture...
- The Confederate Memorial, Wilmington
- Cape Fear MuseumCape Fear MuseumCape Fear Museum of History and Science is a museum at 814 Market Street, Wilmington, North Carolina.Founded in 1898, it is the oldest history museum in North Carolina....
of History and Science http://www.capefearmuseum.com - The Children's Museum of Wilmington http://www.playwilmington.org
- Fort FisherFort FisherFort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
Historic Area - St. James Episcopal ChurchSt. James Episcopal Church (Wilmington, North Carolina)St. James Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church in the historic district of Wilmington, North Carolina. The church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina and is the oldest church in the city of Wilmington.- History :...
- the oldest church in Wilmington - St. Mary Catholic ChurchSt. Mary Catholic Church (Wilmington, North Carolina)Saint Mary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Diocese of Raleigh.-Architecture:Its historic main church is of the Spanish Baroque style. It was designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino, who is known for his work on the Biltmore Estate, Basilica...
- historic Roman Catholic church in Wilmington - First Presbyterian ChurchFirst Presbyterian Church (Wilmington, North Carolina)First Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church in Wilmington, North Carolina. It was the first Presbyterian congregation in the city of Wilmington.- History :...
- historic Presbyterian church - Latimer House Museum
- Sunset Park Historic DistrictSunset Park Historic DistrictSunset Park is a neighborhood south of the Historic Downtown of Wilmington, in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States . It has been designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places....
- Temple of IsraelTemple of Israel (Wilmington, North Carolina)The Temple of Israel is a Jewish house of prayer located on the corner of Fourth and Market Streets in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. Built in 1876, the Temple of Israel is the oldest synagogue in North Carolina and one of the earliest Reform synagogues in the American South...
- the oldestOldest synagogues in the United StatesThe designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...
synagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in North Carolina - USS North Carolina Memorial
- Wilmington Railroad Museum http://wilmingtonrailroadmuseum.org
Newspapers
The Star-News is Wilmington's daily newspaper; read widely throughout the Lower Cape Fear region and now owned by the New York Times. Two historic black newspapers are distributed and published weekly -- The Wilmington Journal and The Challenger Newspapers. Encore Magazine is a weekly arts and entertainment publication.Broadcast
The Wilmington television market is ranked 133 in the United States, and is the smallest DMA in North Carolina. The broadcast stations are as follows:- WWAYWWAYWWAY is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Cape Fear area of North Carolina that is licensed to Wilmington. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter northwest of Bolivia. Owned by Morris Multimedia, the station has studios on North Front Street...
, Channel (3), (ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Morris MultimediaMorris MultimediaMorris Multimedia, Inc. is a media company based in Savannah, Georgia, founded in 1970 by Charles H. Morris. Morris Multimedia, among the largest privately held media companies in the United States, is the parent company of Morris Newspaper Corporation and Morris Network.- Newspapers :The Morris... - WECTWECTWECT is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Cape Fear and Sandhills areas of North Carolina that is licensed to Wilmington. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter southwest of Winnabow. The station can also be seen on Time Warner and Charter...
, Channel (6), (NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Raycom MediaRaycom Media- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations.... - WILM-LD, Channel (10), (CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by the Capitol Broadcasting CompanyCapitol Broadcasting CompanyCapitol Broadcasting Company is a TV and radio broadcast company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They also own and operate the minor league baseball team, the Durham Bulls.-TV:*WRAL-TV 5... - WSFX-TVWSFX-TVWSFX-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for North Carolina's Cape Fear region licensed to Wilmington. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 30 from a transmitter in Town Creek Township. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable, Charter, and ATMC channel 9...
, Channel (26), (FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Raycom Media - WUNJ-TV, Channel (39), (PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
member station, part of the UNC-TVUNC-TVUniversity of North Carolina Television, known on-air as UNC-TV, is a public television network in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is operated by the University of North Carolina, with studios located at the UNC Center for Public Television at Research Triangle Park...
Network) - W47CK, Channel (47), (MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate, uses fictional WMYW calls on-air): licensed to ShallotteShallotte, North CarolinaShallotte is a town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area... - W51CW, Channel (51), (TBNTrinity Broadcasting NetworkThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
affiliate)
Subscriber
The region is also served by a cable-only affiliate of The CW, WBWWBW
WBW is a cable television station in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States, seen locally on Time Warner cable channel 29, and Charter Cable channel 17, as an affiliate of The CW. As part of The CW Plus, the station does not broadcast over-the-air, and its call sign is entirely fictional...
(channel 29 on Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
and channel 17 on Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
). Cable news station News 14 Carolina
News 14 Carolina
News 14 Carolina is a 24-hour cable news service offered in North Carolina, USA, by Time Warner Cable on its cable TV systems in the state. There are News 14 Carolina television channels in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Wilmington each primarily with local news but some local programming...
also maintains its coastal bureau in Wilmington.
On September 8, 2008, at 12 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
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) to iron out transition and reception concerns before the nationwide shutoff
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
. Wilmington was chosen as the test market because the area's digital channel positions will remain unchanged after the transition. 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. W47CK did not participate due to its low-power status; FCC rules currently exempt low-powered stations from the 2009 analog shutdown. WILM-LP and W51CW chose to participate, even though they are exempt as LPTV stations.
Despite Tropical Storm Hanna
Hurricane Hanna (2008)
Hurricane Hanna was the deadliest storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm was the eighth tropical cyclone and fourth hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands on August 28...
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.
Radio stations
- 88.1 FM WGHW - Christian Programs from Church Planters Of America
- 88.5 FM WZDGWZDGWZDG is a radio station broadcasting a Christian rock format. Licensed to Scotts Hill, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Eastern North Carolina area. The station is currently owned by Carolina Christian Radio Inc....
- Christian Rock ("88.5, The Edge") - 88.9 FM WKVC - Contemporary Christian ("K-Love")
- 89.7 FM WDVVWDVVWDVV is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Wilmington area. The station is currently owned by Carolina Christian Radio Inc.-History:...
- Worship & Praise Music ("The Dove, 89.7") - 90.5 FM WWILWWIL-FMWWIL-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Wilmington area. The station is currently owned by Carolina Christian Radio Inc. The station has obtained a construction permit from the FCC for a power...
- Christian Music ("Life 90.5") - 91.3 FM WHQRWHQRWHQR is a radio station broadcasting a Public Radio format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, it serves the area. The station is currently owned by Friends of Public Radio, Inc., a community group....
- Public Radio - 92.3 FM WQSLWQSLWQSL is an urban adult contemporary radio station licensed to Jacksonville, North Carolina. The station airs The Touch format from ABC Radio Networks and the Steve Harvey morning show.-History:...
- Urban Contemporary ("92.3, The Touch") - 92.7 FM WBPLWBPL-LPWBPL-LP is a radio station licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, and serving the Wilmington area. The station is owned and operated by Archangel Gabriel Association. It airs a Catholic talk-show format....
- Wilmington Catholic Radio - 93.7 FM WNTB - Talk Radio ("The Big Talker FM")
- 94.5 FM WKXS - Classic Hits ("94.5, The Hawk")
- 95.5 FM W238AV - Contemporary Christian ("K-LOVEK-LOVEK-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
") - 95.9 FM W240AS - Christian Programs from WOTJWOTJWOTJ is a radio station broadcasting a religious format. Licensed to Morehead City, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Greenville-New Bern, North Carolina, area...
, Morehead City - 97.3 FM WMNXWMNXWMNX is a Mainstream Urban formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina and serving the Wilmington Metro area.-History:97.3 was WWIL at one time...
- Hip Hop/R & B ("Coast 97.3") - 98.3 FM WUIN - AAA ("The Penguin")
- 98.7 FM WRMR - Modern Rock
- 99.9 FM WKXBWKXBWKXB is a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina and serving the Wilmington, North Carolina area....
- Oldies ("Jammin' 99.9") - 100.5 FM W263BA - Contemporary Christian ("K-LOVEK-LOVEK-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
") - 101.3 FM WWQQ- Country ("Double Q, 101")
- 102.7 FM WGNIWGNIWGNI is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Wilmington area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Licensing Llc.-History:...
- Hot AC ("102.7 GNI") - 103.7 FM WBNEWBNEWBNE is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Wilmington area. The station is currently owned by Sea-Comm, Inc.-History:...
- Classic Rock (103.7,"The Bone") - 104.5 FM WILTWILTWILT is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Wilmington area. WILT is currently owned by Sunrise Broadcasting, A subsidiary of Capitol Broadcasting Company of...
- Adult Contemporary ("Sunny 104.5") - 105.5 FM WXQRWXQRWXQR-FM 105.5 is eastern North Carolina's oldest rock radio station. Originally based in Jacksonville, North Carolina, the station is now headquartered in New Bern. Having been broadcasting for over 40 years, "The Rock" is the "original rock station" for the Carolina Coast...
- Rock ("Rock 105") - 106.3 FM WLTTWLTTWLTT / WNTB "The Big Talker FM" is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Bolivia, North Carolina, USA, and Topsail Beach, North Carolina, USA, respectively, WLTT and WNTB serve the Wilmington area. The stations are currently owned by Sea-Comm, Inc...
- Talk Radio ("The Big Talker FM") - 106.7 FM WMYT -
- 107.5 FM WAZOWAZOWAZO is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Southport, North Carolina, USA, the station serves the Wilmington area. WAZO is currently owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company...
- Top 40 ("Z 107.5") - 630 AM WMFDWMFD (AM)WMFD is a sports radio station broadcasting in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is currently branded under the ESPN Radio.The radio station carries the games of the Cape Fear Rugby Football Club.-History:WMFD was Wilmington's first radio station...
- Sports ("ESPN Radio, AM 630") - 980 AM WAAVWAAVWAAV is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Leland, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Wilmington area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media.-History:...
- News, Talk, Sports ("News, Talk, & Sports 980 The Wave") - 1180 AM WSFM - Christian Teaching & Talk ("The Word, 1180 AM")
- 1340 AM WLSGWLSGWLSG is a radio station broadcasting a Religious format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, it serves the Wilmington area. The station is currently owned by Carolina Christian Radio.-History:...
- Southern Gospel ("God's Country, 1340") - 1490 AM WWILWWIL (AM)WWIL is a radio station broadcasting a Gospel format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Carolina Christian Radio Inc.-History:At one time, this station was called WHSL....
- Urban Gospel ("Gospel Joy, 1490")
Sports
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Sharks Wilmington Sharks The Wilmington Sharks are a baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Sharks play their home games at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Sharks are a pioneer member of the Coastal Plain League, and they have been part of... |
CPL Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League is a wood-bat collegiate summer league, featuring college players from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from a Class D minor league baseball league which operated in the same area from 1937 to 1952. The modern league was formed with six teams in 1997... , Baseball |
Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium is a baseball venue in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. It is home to the Wilmington Sharks of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league... |
1997 | 2 |
| Wilmington Sea Dawgs Wilmington Sea Dawgs The Wilmington Sea Dawgs are a team of the Tobacco Road Basketball League in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Sea Dawgs began play in 2006 as a member of the American Basketball Association and later played as a founding member of the Premier Basketball League and a founding member of the... |
PBL Premier Basketball League The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States... , Basketball |
Joe and Barbara Schwartz Center Joe and Barbara Schwartz Center The Joe and Barbara Schwartz Center is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina. With a capacity of 1,800 people, it is home to the Cape Fear Sea Devils junior college basketball and volleyball teams, and also to the Wilmington Sea Dawgs of... |
2006 | 0 |
| Wilmington Hammerheads Wilmington Hammerheads Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.... |
USL USL Second Division The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid... , Soccer |
Legion Stadium Legion Stadium Legion Stadium is the main stadium on the Legion Sports Complex. The stadium's capacity is about 6,000, and it was built in the 1930s. It is located in Wilmington, North Carolina. The stadium has 3,500 seats in the grandstand and 2,500 visitor seats. The stadium also has 40 handicapped seats and a... |
1996 | 1 |
The Wilmington Sharks
Wilmington Sharks
The Wilmington Sharks are a baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Sharks play their home games at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Sharks are a pioneer member of the Coastal Plain League, and they have been part of...
are a Coastal Plain League
Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League is a wood-bat collegiate summer league, featuring college players from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from a Class D minor league baseball league which operated in the same area from 1937 to 1952. The modern league was formed with six teams in 1997...
(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 in Wilmington.
The Wilmington Sea Dawgs
Wilmington Sea Dawgs
The Wilmington Sea Dawgs are a team of the Tobacco Road Basketball League in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Sea Dawgs began play in 2006 as a member of the American Basketball Association and later played as a founding member of the Premier Basketball League and a founding member of the...
are a Premier Basketball League
Premier Basketball League
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...
(PBL) team in Wilmington that began its inaugural season with the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association (21st century)
The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976...
(ABA) in November 2006.
The Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
were a professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. They were founded in 1996 and played in the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
Second Division. Their stadium was the Legion Stadium
Legion Stadium
Legion Stadium is the main stadium on the Legion Sports Complex. The stadium's capacity is about 6,000, and it was built in the 1930s. It is located in Wilmington, North Carolina. The stadium has 3,500 seats in the grandstand and 2,500 visitor seats. The stadium also has 40 handicapped seats and a...
. After the 2009 season, the USL explained that they had discontinued their relationship with the franchise owner Chuck Sullivan. The Hammerheads franchise will be returning 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
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
and has been a member since 1984.
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
Cape Fear Sevens
The Cape Fear Sevens is a North American rugby sevens tournament. It has been won by English teams Bristol, Harlequins and Bedford in 1984, 1986 and 1991. It is a proven fact that Tim "masturbate" Bateman and Donald Holm are the greatest players to play in this tournament...
Tournament held over 4 July weekend; hosting teams from all over the world. They own their own rugby pitch located at 21st and Chestnut St.
In 1914 the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
held spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in Wilmington.
Shopping complexes
- Independence MallIndependence Mall (North Carolina)Independence Mall is the only enclosed shopping mall in Wilmington, North Carolina. It opened in 1979 with anchors stores Belk Beery ,...
- Cotton Exchange of WilmingtonCotton Exchange of WilmingtonThe Cotton Exchange of Wilmington, North Carolina is a shopping complex consisting of over eight historical buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is so named due to the inclusion of the Old James Sprunt Cotton Exchange building; a business who claimed to be the...
- Mayfaire Town Center http://www.mayfairetown.com
Sister cities
Wilmington is a sister city with the following cities: Dandong, ChinaDandong
Dandong , previously known as Andong and Antung, is a city in Liaoning Province, Northeast China. It lies on the border between China and North Korea, which is marked by the Yalu River, and is the largest border city in China. Also, to the southwest of the city, the river flows into Korea Bay...
— 1986 Doncaster, United Kingdom
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
— 1989 Bridgetown, Barbados
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
— 2004
Points of interest
- Airlie GardensAirlie GardensAirlie Gardens is a public garden in Wilmington, North Carolina.It were created in 1901 as a private garden, for the Pembroke Jones family by Mrs. Jones, as a lush, flowing, naturalistic Southern garden, with thousands of azaleas, camellias, magnolias, and wisteria...
- Cape Fear Serpentarium
- The Cotton Exchange Shopping Center
- New Hanover County Extension Service ArboretumNew Hanover County Extension Service ArboretumNew Hanover County Extension Service Arboretum is a new arboretum being established on the grounds of the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Service, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina. It is open daily without charge....
- North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
- North Carolina Azalea FestivalNorth Carolina Azalea Festival-Overview:The takes place every year in the city of Wilmington, North Carolina. The Festival is a non-civic organization and is highly sponsored by the local community. It celebrates local art, the floral gardens, and the history of Wilmington. The festival lasts for five days and takes place in...
- Screen GemsScreen GemsScreen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
Studios - USS North CarolinaUSS North CarolinaFive ships of the United States Navy and one of the Confederate States Navy have been named USS North Carolina in honor of the state of North Carolina.* The first was one of nine ships of the line authorized by Congress in 1816....
Battleship & Museum - Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts
- University of North Carolina at Wilmington ArboretumUniversity of North Carolina at Wilmington ArboretumThe University of North Carolina at Wilmington Arboretum, also known as the UNCW Arboretum, is an arboretum being developed on the University of North Carolina at Wilmington campus in Wilmington, North Carolina....
- Fourth Friday Gallery Nights
Notable Residents (former and current)
- Edwin Anderson, Jr.Edwin Anderson, Jr.Edwin Alexander Anderson, Jr. was a United States Navy officer who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the 1914 American intervention at Veracruz. He retired from the Navy in 1924 as an admiral....
— Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - Eugene Ashley, Jr.Eugene Ashley, Jr.Eugene Ashley, Jr. was a United States Army Special Forces soldier and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
— Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - Arthur BluethenthalArthur BluethenthalArthur Bluethenthal, nicknamed "Bluey" , was an All American football player for Princeton University, who died in combat fighting for France in World War I.-Early life:...
– football player and World War I pilot - Jock BrandisJock BrandisJock Brandis is an author, film actor, film technician, inventor, and alleged air pirate.-Biography:Jock Brandis was born in the Netherlands but moved to Canada as a child. In his early twenties, he joined CUSO, the Canadian version of the Peace Corps, and was placed in "Trenchtown" otherwise known...
– author, co-founder of the Full Belly ProjectFull Belly ProjectThe Full Belly Project Ltd is a non-profit organization based out of Wilmington, North Carolina, which designs labor-saving devices to improve the lives of people in developing communities. Their main devices are the Universal Nut Sheller and the Rocker Water Pump.The first device, the UNS, they... - Pat HinglePat HingleMartin Patterson "Pat" Hingle was an American actor.-Early life:Hingle was born Martin Patterson Hingle in Miami, Florida, the son of Marvin Louise , a schoolteacher and musician, and Clarence Martin Hingle, a building contractor. Hingle enlisted in the U.S. Navy in December 1941, dropping out of...
- the late actor best known for his role as Commissioner Gordon in the films BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Batman ReturnsBatman ReturnsBatman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
& Batman ForeverBatman ForeverBatman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman... - David BrinkleyDavid BrinkleyDavid McClure Brinkley was an American newscaster for NBC and ABC in a career lasting from 1943 to 1997....
- American television newscaster for NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... - Chelsea CooleyChelsea CooleyChelsea Cooley is a beauty queen from Charlotte, North Carolina who has competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and who has held the Miss USA 2005 title....
– Miss USA 2005 - Alge CrumplerAlge Crumpler-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
– NFL tight end for the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and the New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... - Kristen DaltonKristen Dalton (Miss USA)Kristen Jeannine Dalton , from Wilmington, North Carolina, is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2009.-Biography:Dalton is the daughter of Jeannine Dalton who was Miss North Carolina USA 1982...
– Miss North Carolina USAMiss North Carolina USAThe Miss North Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. This state is part of the RPM Productions group....
2009, Miss USA 2009Miss USA 2009Miss USA 2009, the 58th Miss USA pageant was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 19, 2009... - Charlie DanielsCharlie DanielsCharles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
– Country music legend, inducted into the Grand Ole OpryGrand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM... - Wesley A. Gore - Musician/Drummer, Taylor Swifts alternate drummer.
- Minnie EvansMinnie EvansMinnie Evans was an African-American folk artist known for her colorful drawings primarily executed in crayon.- Life :...
– folk artist - Roman GabrielRoman GabrielRoman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
— Los Angeles Rams quarterback; 1969 NFL Most Valuable Player - Althea GibsonAlthea GibsonAlthea Gibson was a World No. 1 American sportswoman who became the first African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour and the first to win a Grand Slam title in 1956. She is sometimes referred to as "the Jackie Robinson of tennis" for breaking the color barrier...
– Tennis Hall of Famer - Andy GriffithAndy GriffithAndy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
- the actor owned a home in the Wilmington area while filming MatlockMatlock (TV series)Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar... - Bethany Joy GaleottiBethany Joy GaleottiBethany Joy Galeotti is an American actress, musician, director, writer, and producer.Galeotti is best known for her on screen portrayals of Michelle Bauer Santos on Guiding Light and Haley James Scott on One Tree Hill...
– actress; plays Haley James ScottHaley James ScottHaley Bob James Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Bethany Joy Galeotti. Haley is initially introduced as Lucas Scott's best friend and eventual sister-in-law after her marriage to Nathan Scott in her junior year of high school...
on One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster... - Al GoreAl GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
– former Vice-President has home on Figure Eight Island - John EdwardsJohn EdwardsJohnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
- former U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate has a home on Figure Eight Island - Joseph GallisonJoseph GallisonJoseph Gallison is an American actor who worked steadily in television soap operas for twenty-seven years. He is probably best known for his role as Dr. Neil Curtis on Days of our Lives ....
– actor best known for his role as Dr. Neil CurtisNeil CurtisNeil Curtis is a fictional character on the television drama Days of our Lives. He was portrayed by Joseph Gallison from February 13, 1974 until October 16, 1991.Neil is a doctor and a compulsive gambler....
on the daytime drama Days of our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around... - Ed HintonEd Hinton (actor)Edgar Latimer Hinton, Jr., known as Ed Hinton and sometimes as Edward Hinton , was an American actor known particularly for guest-starring roles on television westerns...
– actor best known for his roles in Western Films - Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
- the late actor lived in Wilmington for several years after filming multiple movies at Screen GemsScreen GemsScreen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
Studios - Claude Howell - artist (1915–1997)
- William HooperWilliam HooperWilliam Hooper was an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina from 1774 through 1777...
– (1742–1790)-- Member Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
; Signer Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of independenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
; Deputy Attorney General, NC; Federal Judge - Michael JordanMichael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
— American basketball player, 6 time NBA Champion with the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, member of the Basketball Hall of FameBasketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide... - Sonny JurgensenSonny JurgensenChristian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
- former Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
quarterback, member of the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... - Charles KuraltCharles KuraltCharles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
— award-winning American journalist - Jana KramerJana KramerJana Rae Kramer is an American actress and country music singer.-Career:Kramer played Noelle Davenport on Friday Night Lights and Portia Ranson on 90210. She played a sorority girl interested in Turtle in Entourage...
- actress; plays Alex Dupre on One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster... - Linda LavinLinda LavinLinda Lavin is an American singer and actress. She is best known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice and for her Broadway performances.After acting as a child, Lavin joined the Compass Players in the late 1950s...
- actress, singer, and arts patron best known for her title role in the television series AliceAlice (TV series)Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job... - Meadowlark LemonMeadowlark LemonMeadow "Meadowlark" Lemon is an American basketball player, actor, and minister. For 22 years, Lemon was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. He played in more than 16,000 games for the Globetrotters and is a 2003 inductee of the Naismith Memorial...
— American basketball player best known for being a member of the Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over... - Sugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
– won the gold medal in boxing at the 1976 Olympics - Quinton McCrackenQuinton McCrackenQuinton Antoine McCracken is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of twelve seasons in Major League Baseball, and was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays franchise's first center fielder and batter on March 31, 1998....
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder - Charles P. Murray, Jr.Charles P. Murray, Jr.Charles Patrick Murray, Jr., was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Early life:...
— Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - Trot NixonTrot NixonChristopher Trotman Nixon is an American retired professional baseball right fielder. He played from 1996-2008 for three different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the Boston Red Sox...
- former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder - Thomas PetersThomas Peters (black leader)Thomas Peters was one of the Black Loyalist Founding Fathers of Sierra Leone. Peters, along with David George, Moses Wilkinson, Cato Perkins, and Joseph Leonard, were influential blacks who recruited African settlers in Nova Scotia for colonization of Sierra Leone...
— early founder of Sierra LeoneSierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, who escaped from slaverySlaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in Wilmington at the beginning of the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. - Robert RuarkRobert RuarkRobert Ruark was an American author and syndicated columnist.- Early life :...
— sportsman and syndicated writer during the 1940s–1950s - Captain William Gordon RutherfurdWilliam Gordon RutherfurdCaptain William Gordon Rutherfurd RN, CB was an officer in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars whose career was almost entirely conducted in the West Indies except for a brief sojurn in European waters during which he commanded the ship of the line at the...
— commanded the HMS HMS SwiftsureHMS Swiftsure (1804)HMS Swiftsure was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched from Bucklers Hard on 23 July 1804. She fought at Trafalgar.The French 74-gun ship Swiftsure also took part in the battle...
during the Battle of TrafalgarBattle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars .... - Willie StargellWillie StargellWilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
- former Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
outfielder and 1st baseman, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame - John SteeleJohn Steele (paratrooper)Private John M. Steele was the American paratrooper made famous in the movie, The Longest Day who landed in Sainte-Mère-Église, the first village in Normandy liberated by the Americans on D-Day, June 6, 1944....
- Landed with the 82nd ABN in Normandy during World War II. Made famous in The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II.... - Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
– 28th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... - Brittany YorkBrittany YorkBrittany Leigh York is an American beauty queen who won the title of Miss North Carolina USA 2011 and competed in the Miss USA 2011 beauty pageant.-Early life:...
- Miss North Carolina USAMiss North Carolina USAThe Miss North Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. This state is part of the RPM Productions group....
2011 - James Van Der BeekJames Van Der BeekJames William Van Der Beek, Jr. is an American television, film, and stage actor, known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in The WB series Dawson's Creek...
– actor; played Dawson LeeryDawson LeeryDawson Wade Leery is the central fictional character and the main protagonist of the American television drama Dawson's Creek. The character is portrayed by American actor James Van Der Beek.-Biography:...
on Dawson's Creek and has a recurring role as a movie director on One Tree Hill since 2008 - Michelle WilliamsMichelle Williams (actress)Michelle Ingrid Williams is an American actress. After starting her career with television guest appearances in the early 1990s, Williams achieved recognition for her role as Jen Lindley on the WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek, which she played from 1998 to 2003...
– actress; played Jen LindleyJen LindleyJennifer "Jen" Lindley is a fictional character on the American television drama Dawson's Creek. The character is portrayed by American actress Michelle Williams.-Season One:...
on Dawson's Creek - Katie HolmesKatie HolmesKatherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
– actress; played Joey PotterJoey PotterJosephine "Joey" Lynn Potter is a fictional character portrayed by Katie Holmes in the American television drama Dawson's Creek.-Character biography:...
on Dawson's CreekDawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons... - Hilarie BurtonHilarie BurtonHilarie Ross Burton is an American actress. A former host of MTV's Total Request Live, she portrayed Peyton Sawyer on The CW drama One Tree Hill for six seasons...
– actress; played Peyton SawyerPeyton SawyerPeyton Elizabeth Scott is a fictional character from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Hilarie Burton. A talented visual and musical artist, Peyton has a heavily-guarded heart due to the number of lost loved ones in her life...
on One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster... - Sophia BushSophia BushSophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
– actress; plays Brooke DavisBrooke DavisBrooke Penelope Baker is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Sophia Bush. Throughout her experiences, Brooke grows from a wild and generally carefree girl to a more mature and grounded young woman...
on One Tree Hill - Chad Michael MurrayChad Michael MurrayChad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
– actor; played Lucas ScottLucas ScottLucas Eugene Scott is a fictional character and formerly the main protagonist from The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by Chad Michael Murray. Lucas is a talented basketball player and writer. He is rival to half-brother Nathan Scott, before the two eventually become close friends...
on One Tree Hill - James LaffertyJames LaffertyJames Martin Lafferty is an American actor, director and producer. He currently portrays Nathan Scott on the CW television drama One Tree Hill. In addition to his role on the young adult drama, Lafferty is also known for his appearance as Justin in S...
– actor; plays Nathan ScottNathan ScottNathan Royal Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by James Lafferty. He was the second protagonist during the first six seasons; but following Lucas Scott's departure, Nathan has become the main character and central figure of the show. Nathan is Lucas...
on One Tree Hill - Lee NorrisLee NorrisLee Michael Norris is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stuart Minkus on Boy Meets World and Marvin "Mouth" McFadden on One Tree Hill.-Early life:...
– actor; plays Marvin 'Mouth' McFadden on One Tree Hill - Danneel HarrisDanneel HarrisDanneel Ackles , better known by her stage name Danneel Harris, is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Shannon McBain on One Life to Live and Rachel Gatina on One Tree Hill.-Early life:Elta Danneel Graul was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was raised in the small...
– actress; plays Rachel Gatina on One Tree Hill - Ron Vavra - sculptor, named a Best of America artist
- Emma Mae - Former adult film actress, first cover girl with tattoos in the history of Hustler Magazine.