This marker along one of Wilmington's oldest streets points out the early home of the 28th POTUS,…read moreWoodrow Wilson. It reads, "Woodrow Wilson. President of the United States, 1913-1921. His home, 1874-1882, was the Presbyterian Manse which stood one block east." Online, more information. "Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, lived in Wilmington from 1874 to 1882 at the Presbyterian Manse while his father served as the minister of the city's First Presbyterian Church. The third of four children of Joseph R. and Jessie Janet Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856 in Staunton, Virginia." (Staunton is about 360 miles north.) "In 1873, Woodrow Wilson began attending Davidson College. The following year his father took a position as minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. Wilson remained at Davidson College only briefly before transferring to Princeton University. He graduated in 1879, and began attending law school at the University of Virginia. Illness forced him to return to Wilmington the following year. The family remained in Wilmington until 1882. Wilson moved to Atlanta to open a law practice, while his father and family returned to Augusta." [Review 13995 overall, 1317 of 2020, number 2635 in North Carolina.]

This marker near downtown Wilmington recalls the history of an escaped slave who joined the Union…read morenavy. It reads, "William B. Gould. 1837-1923. Was enslaved Bellamy plasterer. Escaped 1862 and joined Union navy. Kept detailed war diary. Lived 2 blocks north." Online, there is more information. "According to William B. Gould's death certificate, his mother was an enslaved person, Elizabeth Moore, and his father was an Englishman named Alexander Gould. William was owned by Nicholas Nixon, a prominent a peanut planter. During his youth, Gould gained skills in the building trade. Although teaching slaves to read had been outlawed in North Carolina in 1830, Gould also learned to read and write." "Around 1860, Gould began to work as a plasterer and mason on the Bellamy Mansion, on which construction began in 1859. The building would serve as the home of the family of Dr. John D. Bellamy, a Wilmington physician and merchant. James F. Post of New Jersey was the lead architect on the project. Gould created elaborate plasterwork throughout the main level of the mansion. He signed his initials, WBG, into the back of two sections of decorative plaster, one of which is on display at the Bellamy Mansion Museum today. The Bellamy Mansion is the only construction project on which Gould is confirmed to have worked. Bellamy is known to have hired Gould out, so it is probable that he worked on other construction assignments as well." "On September 21, 1862, Gould and seven other enslaved men escaped from Wilmington via the Cape Fear River and headed for the Union-occupied zone of the North Carolina coast. Six days later they were picked up by the USS Cambridge and recorded as "eight contrabands from Wilmington." Gould and his fellow escapees enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He began documenting his experiences on September 27, the day that he encountered the crewmen of the Cambridge. He kept the journal for three years; the last entry was dated September 29, 1865." "His is one of only three known diaries written by African American sailors during the Civil War, and is the only one penned by a former slave. Gould's diary was written in a spare style, as might be expected given the demanding routine of life aboard a naval vessel, which usually left little time for long reflective entries. Frequently entries include comments on the weather and various incidents of interest, sometimes serious and sometimes comic in nature, as well as brief descriptions of contacts with over Union naval vessels, encounters with the enemy, the pickup of other escaped slaves, references to letters from family of friends, notations to visitors of the ships, and, in the case of the European stint of the voyage, details of ports of call. Other entries briefly comment on the conduct of the war, such as Gould's April 16, 1864, expression of frustration regarding the failure of the U.S. government to retaliate for the recent massacre of black and white U.S. soldiers by Confederate troops at Fort Pillow, Tennessee." [Review 14493 overall, 1819 of 2020, number 2744 in North Carolina.]

Recently cleaned after someone decided to express themselves with spray paint, the Kenan fountain…read morewas a gift to the City of Wilmington in memory of his parents, William Rand and Mary Hargrave Kenan. Born in Kenansville, the senior Kenan was a captain in the Civil War, originally enlisting in the Duplin Rifles of the North Carolina 43rd Regiment. After the war, he became a life insurance salesman in Wilmington. A prominent member of the Wilmington community, he became a trustee of the University of North Carolina in 1903. He died shortly after this appointment in 1903. His wife, Mary Hargrave, was a native of Chapel Hill. It is a pretty fountain, approximately 14 feet high. There is a large central fountain with a bowl on a tall pedestal sitting in a larger round basin. The entire stricture sits atop a first tier. The center segment on the four sides forms a bench and the fountain pools are located on either side of the corners. The fountain is also decorated with classic figures including gargoyles and terrapins. [Review 14001 overall, 1323 of 2020, number 2641 in North Carolina.]

An iconic part of Wilmington with Bellamy in the background there are some beautiful pieces done by…read morelocal artists that display the fountain

I knew that the famous portrait of Whistler's mother is really a portrait of a real person, but I…read morenever really thought about where she might have lived or where she was born. I've seen the picture. It's in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris https://www.yelp.com/biz/musée-d-orsay-paris-3?hrid=n7kuhIp1EPKNNsk-IJFd7g. So now I know a bit more of the story. The marker reads, "Anna McNeill Whistler, the mother of James Whistler, artist, was born in a house which stood one block east." Online, "James Abbott McNeill Whistler, the son of George Washington Whistler and Anna McNeill Whistler, was a prominent nineteenth century artist who spent his adult life in Europe. Whistler's mother, Anna McNeill, was made famous in renowned painting, "Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother." The work, referred to colloquially as "Whistler's Mother," was painted in London in the early 1870s. Anna McNeill, the subject, was born in Wilmington in 1804." "Anna McNeill, born on September 27, 1804, to Martha Kingsley and Dr. Black Daniel McNeill was the fifth of six children, and was influenced heavily throughout her life by her older brother William Gibbs McNeill." "Anna Whistler moved to London in 1863 to live with her son, and in 1871 he painted her as the figure in "Whistler's Mother." The painting was first shown in 1872, extending Whistler's reputation, but it has received mixed reviews throughout much of its history. "Whistler's Mother" now hangs in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris, and has rarely been exhibited in the United States." [Review 14009 overall, 1331 of 2020, number 2649 in North Carolina.]

This marker is alongside River Road between Wilmington and the southern North Carolina beaches…read more It's a busy road but there's a spot to stop. The marker reads, "Alfred Moore. Associate justice U.S. Supreme Court, 1799-1804. Continental Line & militia officer; attorney general. Grave 2 mi. southeast." Online, there is more information. "Alfred Moore, Revolutionary War officer and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, was born on May 21, 1755 in New Hanover County. Alfred Moore's father was a staunch opponent of British tax policies, and his opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765 caused Royal Governor William Tryon to remove him as a superior court judge." "Alfred was admitted to the bar in April 1775 just as war broke out between Great Britain and the colonies. Imbued with his father's political ideals, Moore clamored for action. In September 1775 he received a commission as a captain in the First North Carolina Continental Regiment, commanded by his uncle Colonel James Moore. He saw action first at Brunswick Town in January 1776. The following June, he served briefly in the defense of Charleston. Upon the death of his father the following year, Moore resigned his commission and returned home to manage the family estates." "At the war's conclusion, Moore began a lengthy career in public service, first as a state senator from Brunswick County, and then as attorney general of North Carolina, following the resignation of James Iredell. He resigned his position in 1791 in opposition to the Court Act of 1790, and in 1792 represented Brunswick County as a Federalist in the state assembly. In October 1799, President John Adams appointed Moore an associate justice to the United States Supreme Court upon the death of Justice James Iredell." "He died on October 15, 1810 at "Belfont," the plantation home of his son-in-law. He is buried in the graveyard of St. Phillips Church in Brunswick Town. Moore County is named for him." Moore County is just south of Greensboro North Carolina. The county seat is Carthage and its largest town is Pinehurst. [Review 14180 overall, 1502 of 2020, number 2675 in North Carolina.]

This site had escaped my notice on numerous visits to the area, but I found a reason to stop in…read more The weather was rainy, but it actually wasn't the worst decision to visit, as rain without wind was reasonably manageable with an umbrella and the precipitation was effective in suppressing the bugs and heat that I would have otherwise experienced. There were no alligators in sight though, so what I got out of it was a historical visit. And I have to say, it's an impressive historical site. It has both a colonial and a Civil War history. One distinction I find hard to explain is that I don't hear a ton about pre-Revolution America in a lot of places I visit in DC, Maryland, or Virginia, but the Carolinas emphasize this period a lot more in their sites. This place has a museum, which includes such artifacts as a confederate flag that was apparently presented to Abraham Lincoln as a trophy of Union victory, leading to some interesting turns in history. The outdoor experiences include a walk through some excavated ruins and around the old earthen fort, as well as a nature trail. Notably, a memorial to the Africans who were brought to the area was affecting. For those visiting the area from afar, North Carolina does not charge for entrance to state park sites, unlike most other states. The location is not terribly far in absolute driving time from Wilmington, but it will transport you to another time.

Went today and was disappointed! Seams several things are replicas and not the original artifacts!…read moreSigns were faded and some unreadable! Not really much there, but it made for a nice walk.

Located on the inner side of Wrightsville Beach island, this marker recalls more recent history…read morethan the Colonial Era or even the Civil War. The marker reads, "Pioneer East Coast Surfing. Early surfing activity organized on beaches near here in 1909 by B.H. Bridgers & others." Online, "Polynesian children engaged in primitive surfing activities thousands of years ago. In some areas surfing on various types of board was merely transportation for fishermen. Hawaiian adults began to develop boards for surfing about 1200 C.E. Matt Warshaw, in his The History of Surfing, states that in Hawaii, surfing was "both recreational and universal" and was practiced by all members of society." "In 1908 South Carolinian Alexander Hume Ford founded the Outrigger Canoe and Surfboard Club to develop the "great sport of surfing in Hawaii." In August of 1909 Colliers Weekly published an article about surfing by Ford in which he encouraged readers to try the sport. Wrightsville Beach native Burke Haywood Bridgers read the article and, wishing to ask Ford detailed questions about surf boards, he wrote to the author in care of Colliers." "The surfing that occurred in the Wrightsville beach area in the early 1900s is the earliest documented in the state of North Carolina." There is much more - too much to post here - in the linked article. [Review 14011 overall, 1333 of 2020, number 2651 in North Carolina.]

This marker points out the nearby Brunswick Town historic site not far away which is well worth…read moreyour time if you're here already, yelp.com/biz/brunswick-t.... The marker reads, "Brunswick. Founded circa 1725, long a principal port of North Carolina, site of Spanish attack, 1748, and of Stamp Act resistance, 1766. Later abandoned. Was 2 miles southeast." Online, "Maurice Moore, the son of South Carolina governor James Moore, established himself in North Carolina in 1725 with a 1,500-acre grant from the Lords Proprietors. As a business venture, Moore laid out Brunswick Town, located in present-day Brunswick County, in 1726. It was named for King George I of England who was a member of the German House of Brunswick-Hanover. Situated on the Cape Fear River, the town became the colony's chief port for exporting naval stores and lumber to Europe and the West Indies." "Brunswick residents faced a series of hardships. On September 4, 1748, sailors from Spanish ships came ashore and attacked the town. Citizens drove out the Spaniards and ransacked their ship. They sold the ship's contents and even the sailors themselves, using the proceeds to finance the construction of St. Philip's Church. In February of 1766, residents rallied against the Stamp Act in one of the earliest acts of armed resistance to the Crown in America." "the Confederate Army constructed Fort Anderson on the site in 1862. After the fall of Fort Fisher in 1865, Union troops captured the fort. In the 1950s and 1960s state archaeologists began uncovering the foundations of Brunswick. Today the walls of St. Philip's, dating back to 1754, and the foundation of Russellborough are visible. Brunswick Town is a state historic site operated by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources." [Review 13976 overall, 1298 of 2020, number 2616 in North Carolina.]