Colonial beginnings

Mitchell-Anderson House (built 1738)

The city was founded in the 1730s, and after going through a series of different names (New Carthage, New London, Newton), its name became Wilmington in 1740,^[28] named after Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington.^[28]

The area along the river had been inhabited by various successive cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. At the time of European encounter, historic Native Americans were members of tribes belonging to the Eastern Siouan family.^[29]

In the early 16th century, Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, commissioned by the king of France with a French crew, was reportedly the first European to see this area, including the city's present site. The first permanent colonial settlement in the area was established in the 1720s by European settlers.^[29] In September 1732, a community was founded on land owned by John Watson on the Cape Fear River, at the confluence of its northwest and northeast branches.^[30] The settlement, founded by the first royal governor, George Burrington, was called New Carthage, and then New Liverpool; it gradually took on the name New Town or Newton.^[31] Governor Gabriel Johnston soon after established his government there for the North Carolina colony. In 1739 or 1740, the town was incorporated with a new name, Wilmington, in honor of Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.^[32]

Some early settlers of Wilmington came from the Albemarle and Pamlico regions, as well as from the colonies of Virginia and South Carolina, but most new settlers migrated from the northern colonies, the West Indies, and Northern Europe.^[33] Many of the early settlers were indentured servants from Northern Europe. As the indentured servants gained their freedom and fewer could be persuaded to travel to North America because of improving conditions back home, the settlers imported an increasing number of slaves to satisfy the labor demand.^[31] By 1767, African slaves accounted for more than 62% of the population of the Lower Cape Fear region.^[34] Many worked in the port as laborers, and some in ship-related trades.

Naval stores and lumber fueled the region's economy, both before and after the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, the British maintained a garrison at Fort Johnston near Wilmington.^[35]

Revolutionary era

The Bellamy Mansion draws many tourists annually to downtown

Alton Lennon Federal Building and Courthouse, the backdrop of Andy Griffith's Matlock television series

Due to Wilmington's commercial importance as a major port, it had a critical role in opposition to the British in the years leading up to the revolution. The city had outspoken political leaders who influenced and led the resistance movement in North Carolina. The foremost of these was Wilmington resident Cornelius Harnett, who was serving in the General Assembly at the time, and where he rallied opposition to the Sugar Act in 1764. When the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act the following year, designed to raise revenue for the Crown with a kind of tax on shipping, Wilmington was the site of an elaborate demonstration against it.^[36]

On October 19, 1765, several hundred townspeople gathered in protest of the new law, burned an effigy of one town resident who favored the act, and toasted to "Liberty, Property, and No Stamp Duty." On October 31, another crowd gathered in a symbolic funeral of "Liberty". Before the effigy was buried, though, Liberty was found to have a pulse, and celebration ensued.^[37][38]

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

"The Inhabitants immediately assembled about me & demanded a Categorical Answer whether I intended to put the Act relating [to] the Stamps in force. The Town Bell was rung[,] Drums [were] beating, Colours [were] flying and [a] great concourse of People [were] gathered together." For the sake of his own life, and "to quiet the Minds of the inraged [sic] and furious Mobb...," Houston resigned his position at the courthouse.^[37][39]

Governor William Tryon made attempts to mitigate the opposition, to no avail. On November 18, 1765, he pleaded his case directly to prominent residents of the area. They said the law restricted their rights. When the stamps arrived on November 28 on HMS Diligence, Tryon ordered them to be kept on board. Shipping on the Cape Fear River was stopped, as were the functions of the courts.^[37]

Tryon, after having received his official commission as governor (a position he had assumed only after the death of Arthur Dobbs), was brought to Wilmington by Captain Constantine Phipps on a barge from the Diligence, and "was received cordially by the gentlemen of the borough." He was greeted with the firing of seventeen pieces of artillery, and the New Hanover County Regiment of the North Carolina militia, who had lined the streets. This "warm welcome" was spoiled, however, after a dispute arose between Captain Phipps and captains of ships in the harbor regarding the display of their colors. The townspeople became infuriated with Phipps and threats were made against both sides. After Tryon harangued them for their actions, the townspeople gathered around the barrels of punch and ox he had brought as refreshments. The barrels were broken open, letting the punch spill into the streets; they threw the head of the ox into the pillory, and gave its body to the enslaved population. Because of the unrest, Tryon moved his seat of government to New Bern instead of Wilmington.^[31][40]

On February 18, 1766, two merchant ships arrived without stamped papers at Brunswick Town. Each ship provided signed statements from the collectors at their respective ports of origin that no were stamps available, but Captain Jacob Lobb of the British cruiser Viper seized the vessels. In response, numerous residents from southern counties met in Wilmington. The group organized as the Sons of Liberty and pledged to block implementation of the Stamp Act. The following day, as many as a thousand men, including the mayor and aldermen of Wilmington, were led by Cornelius Harnett to Brunswick to confront Tryon. The governor was unyielding, but a mob retrieved the seized ships. They forced royal customs officers and public officials in the region to swear never to issue stamped paper.^[41] The Westminster Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766

Antebellum period

U. S. Post Office in downtown Wilmington

In the 1830s, citizens of Wilmington became eager to take advantage of railroad transportation. At this time, the shipping tonnage registered at Wilmington was 9,035.^[42] Plans were developed to build a railroad line from the capital, Raleigh, to Wilmington. When Raleigh citizens declined to subscribe in sufficient number to stock to raise money for the project, organizers changed the terminus to Weldon. When the railroad line was completed in 1840, it was the longest single line of railroad track in the world. The railroad also controlled a fleet of steamboats that ran between Wilmington and Charleston; these were used both for passenger travel and freight. Regular boat lines served Fayetteville, and packet lines traveled to northern ports. The city was a main stopover point, contributing greatly to its commerce.^[31]

By mid-century, the churchyard of St. James Episcopal Church and other town cemeteries had become filled with graves. On November 16, 1853, a group of citizens, organized as "the Proprietors of the Wilmington Cemetery", was formed to develop a new cemetery. Sixty-five acres of land around Burnt Mill Creek were chosen as the site for what would be called Oakdale Cemetery. It was the first rural cemetery in North Carolina. The cemetery's first interment, on February 6, 1855, was six-year-old Annie deRosset.^[43] Many remains from St. James churchyard were relocated to the new cemetery.

The Wilmington Gas Light Company was established in 1854. Soon after, streetlights were powered by gas made from lightwood and rosin, replacing the old street oil lamps. On December 27, 1855, the first cornerstone was laid, and construction began on a new city hall. A grant from the Thalian Association funded the attached opera house, named Thalian Hall. In 1857, the city opened its first public school, named the Union Free School, on 6th Street between Nun and Church Streets, serving White students.^[44]

Wilmington had a Black majority population before the Civil War.^[45] While most were slaves, the city had a significant community of free people of color, who developed businesses and trades. For a period up to Nat Turner's rebellion, they had been allowed to vote, carry arms, and serve in the militia. Fears after the rebellion resulted in the state legislature passing laws to restrict the rights of free Blacks.

Civil War

Cannon firing at a re-enactment of the Battle of Forks Road near the Cameron Art Museum

Wilmington National Cemetery has markers dating to the American Revolution and the American Civil War

During the Civil War, the port was the major base for Confederate and privately owned blockade runners, which delivered badly needed supplies from England. The Union mounted a blockade to reduce the goods received by the South. The city was captured by Union forces in the Battle of Wilmington in February 1865, about one month after the fall of Fort Fisher had closed the port. Wilmington was the last Confederate port to be captured.^[46] As nearly all the military action took place some distance from the city, numerous antebellum houses and other buildings survived the war years.^[47]

Reconstruction era and 1898 insurrection

Wilmington c. 1898

During the Reconstruction era, former free Blacks and newly emancipated freedmen built a community in the city. About 55% of its residents were Black people.^[48][49] At the time, Wilmington was the largest city and the economic capital of the state.

Three of the city's aldermen were Black. Black people were also in positions of justice of the peace, deputy clerk of court, street superintendent, coroners, policemen, mail clerks, and mail carriers.^[50]

At the time, Black people accounted for over 30% of Wilmington's skilled craftsmen, such as mechanics, carpenters, jewelers, watchmakers, painters, plasterers, plumbers, stevedores, blacksmiths, masons, and wheelwrights. In addition, they owned 10 of the city's 11 restaurants and were 90% of the city's 22 barbers. The city had more Black bootmakers/shoemakers than White ones, and half of the city's tailors were Black. Lastly, two brothers, Alexander and Frank Manly, owned the Wilmington Daily Record, one of the few Black-owned newspapers in the state, which was reported to be the only one in the country.^[51]

In the 1890s, a coalition of Republicans and Populists had gained state and federal offices. The Democrats were determined to reassert their control. Violence increased around elections in this period, as armed White paramilitary insurgents, known as Red Shirts, worked to suppress Black and Republican voting. White Democrats regained control of the state legislature and sought to impose white supremacy, but some Blacks continued to be elected to local offices.^[52]

The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 (also known as the Wilmington Race Riot) occurred as a result of the racially charged political conflict that had occurred in the decades after the Civil War and efforts by White Democrats to re-establish white supremacy and overturn Black voting. In 1898, a cadre of White Democrats, professionals, and businessmen planned to overthrow the city government if their candidates were not elected. Two days after the election, in which a White Republican was elected mayor and both White and Black aldermen were elected, more than 1500 White men (led by Democrat Alfred M. Waddell, an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 1896) attacked and burned the only Black-owned daily newspaper in the state and ran off the new officers. They overthrew the legitimately elected municipal government. Waddell and his men forced the elected Republican city officials to resign at gunpoint and replaced them with men selected by leading White Democrats. Waddell was elected mayor by the newly seated board of aldermen that day. Prominent Black Americans and White Republicans were banished from the city in the following days.^[45] This is the only such coup d'état in United States history.^[45][53]

Whites attacked and killed an estimated 10–100 Blacks; no Whites died in the violence. As a result of the attacks, more than 2100 Blacks permanently left the city, leaving a hole among its professional and middle classes. The demographic change was so large that the city became majority White, rather than the majority Black it was before the coup.^[45]

Following these events, the North Carolina legislature passed a new constitution that raised barriers to voter registration, imposing requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests that effectively disfranchised most Black voters, following the example of Mississippi. Blacks were essentially excluded from the political system until after the enactment of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.^[45]

20th century

Wilmington is home to the Bijou Theater, which began as a tent in 1904 and progressed to a permanent structure in 1906. It operated until 1956, making it the oldest movie theater in the state and one of the oldest, continuously running theaters in the country.^[54] In 1910, Charlotte passed Wilmington to become North Carolina's largest city.^[55] In the mid-20th century, efforts to preserve many historic building began. Due to this, many historic buildings were listed as National Register of Historic Places.^[56] Around the '80s, the city was used for filming of many horror films, such as Blue Velvet in 1985 and I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997.^[26] In 1990, the final extension of Interstate 40 in North Carolina was opened and officially connected Wilmington to the Interstate Highway System.

A 1918 panorama of downtown Wilmington

A 1918 panorama of Wilmington's waterfront

World War II

During World War II, Wilmington was the home of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company. The shipyard was created as part of the U.S. government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Workers built 243 ships in Wilmington during the five years the company operated.^[57]

Three prisoner-of-war (POW) camps operated in the city from February 1944 through April 1946. At their peak, the camps held 550 German prisoners. The first camp was located on the corner of Shipyard Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road; it was moved downtown to Ann Street, between 8th and 10th Avenues, when it outgrew the original location. A smaller contingent of prisoners was assigned to a third site, working in the officers' mess and doing groundskeeping at Bluethenthal Army Air Base, which is now Wilmington International Airport.^[58]

21st century

During the '90s, Wilmington began to grow rapidly, partially due to the film industry and the completion of I-40.^[59] The city successfully annexed the areas of Seagate in 1998 and Masonboro in 2000. The annexation of Monkey Junction was stopped in 2012 by the North Carolina House of Representatives after local backlash.^[60][61][62] In 2017, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality found that the Cape Fear River had been polluted by a chemical called GenX, discharged by a Chemours plant near Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump designated Wilmington to be the first WWII Heritage city in the country due to the city's contribution during the war.^[63]

National Register of Historic Places

The Audubon Trolley Station, Brookwood Historic District, Carolina Heights Historic District, Carolina Place Historic District, City Hall/Thalian Hall, Delgrado School, Federal Building and Courthouse, Fort Fisher, Gabriel's Landing, William Hooper School (Former), Market Street Mansion District, Masonboro Sound Historic District, Moores Creek National Battlefield, Sunset Park Historic District, USS North Carolina (BB-55) National Historic Landmark, James Walker Nursing School Quarters, Westbrook-Ardmore Historic District, Wilmington Historic District, and Wilmington National Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[64]

Climate

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

Cypress trees in Greenfield Lake

• Winters are generally mild with January highs in the mid-50s °F (~12 °C) and lows in the mid-30s °F (~1 °C). Snowfall does not occur in most years, and when it does, is generally light.
• Spring is reasonably lengthy, beginning in late February and lasting to early May. The presence of abundant dense vegetation in the area causes significant pollen dusting in the springtime that tends to turn rooftops and cars yellow.
• Summer brings high humidity, with daily high temperatures usually ranging from the upper 80s to lower 90s °F (31–34 °C), and daily low temperatures usually from 70 to 75 °F (~22 °C). Heat indices can easily break the 100 °F (38 °C) mark, though the actual temperature does not in most years. Due to the proximity of warm Atlantic Ocean waters and prevailing tropical-system tracks, the Wilmington area is subject to hurricane or tropical storm activity, mostly from August to early October, with an average frequency of once every seven years. Such tropical systems can bring high winds and very heavy rains, sometimes 4 inches (100 mm) or more in a single tropical system. Precipitation in Wilmington occurs year-round. April is the driest month, with just over 3 inches (76 mm) of rain on average, and August and September are the wettest months, with over 8 inches (200 mm) of rain each, on average. In an average year, the July to September period delivers nearly 40% of annual rainfall.
• Autumn is also generally humid at the beginning, with the threat from tropical weather systems (hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions) peaking in September.
• Normal January mean temperature: 46.0 °F (7.8 °C). The coldest month in recorded history was January 1977, averaging 35.7 °F (2.1 °C). January 1981 had a colder average minimum of 25.8 °F (−3.4 °C).
• Normal July mean temperature: 81.1 °F (27.3 °C). The hottest month in recorded history was July 2012, averaging 84.7 °F (29.3 °C). July 1993 had a hotter average maximum of 94.0 °F (34.4 °C).
• Average nights ≤ 32 °F (0 °C): 39
• First and last freezes of the season: November 18 and March 20, allowing a growing season of 244 days
• Average days ≥ 90 °F (32 °C): 43, but historically as low as 9 in 1909 and as high as 71 in 1980.
• First and last 90 °F highs: May 15, September 15
• Highest recorded temperature: 104 °F (40 °C) on June 27, 1952^[66]
• Lowest daily maximum temperature: 16 °F (−9 °C) on February 13, 1899 and December 30, 1917^[66]
• Highest daily minimum temperature: 83 °F (28 °C) on August 1, 1999 and August 9, 2007^[66]
• Lowest recorded temperature: 0 °F (−18 °C) on December 25, 1989^[66]
• Average annual precipitation: 60.15 inches (1,530 mm), but historically ranging from 27.68 in (703 mm) in 1909 to 102.40 in (2,601 mm) in 2018,^[67] aided by 23.02 inches of rain, September 13–16, from Hurricane Florence's slow movement across the Carolinas.^[67][68] The 2018 annual precipitation of 102.40 inches exceeded the previous record wettest year (1877, with 83.65 inches of precipitation).^[67]
• Wettest day: 13.38 in (339.9 mm) on September 15, 1999^[66]
• Driest month: 0.16 in (4.1 mm) in April 1995^[69]
• Wettest month: 24.13 in (612.9 mm) in September 2018,^[70] followed closely by 23.41 in (594.6 mm) in September 1999^[69]
• Winter average snowfall: 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) (the median amount is 0)^[71]
• Snowiest 24-hour period: 12.1 in (30.7 cm) on February 17–18, 1896^[72]
• Snowiest month: 15.3 in (38.9 cm) in December 1989, making the winter of 1989–90 the snowiest^[69]

2020 census

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

2013 census estimate

At the 2013 census estimate,^[82] there were 112,067 people and 47,003 households in the city. The population density was 2,067.8 inhabitants per square mile (798.4/km²) and there were 53,400 housing units. The racial composition of the city was: 73.5% White, 19.9% Black or African American, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino American, 1.2% Asian American, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

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

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

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

Religion

Across from the Bellamy Mansion is the First Baptist Church, established in 1808.

Grace United Methodist Church, established in 1797

Less than half of Wilmington's population is religiously affiliated (47.30%), with the majority of practitioners being Christian. The two largest Christian denominations in Wilmington are Protestant: Baptists (14.66%) and Methodists (8.29%), followed by Roman Catholics (7.42%). There are also a significant number of Presbyterians (3.19%), Episcopalians (2.30%), Pentecostals (1.45%), and Lutherans (1.32%). Other Christian denominations make up 7.02%, and the Latter-Day Saints have 0.90%. Much smaller is the proportion of residents who follow Islam (0.46%), and Judaism (0.25%). A small percentage of people practice Eastern religions (0.04%).^[83]

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

Airport

The Wilmington International Airport (ILM) serves the area with commercial air service provided by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Avelo Airlines. American Airlines carries a large share of the airport's traffic, and therefore flies the largest of the aircraft in and out of the airport. The airport serves over 930,000 travelers per year.^[84][85][86] The airport is also home to two fixed-base operations (FBOs) that currently house over 100 private aircraft. The airport maintains a separate International Terminal providing a full service Federal Inspection Station to clear international flights. This includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Immigration. The airport is 4 miles from downtown and is served by Wave Transit buses.

Interstate Highways

Barstow, California, distance sign, originally seen from I-40 in Wilmington. The sign has now been removed as being repeatedly stolen.^[87]

• I-40
• I-140 / NC 140

U.S. Routes

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

• US 17
• 
  US 17 Bus.
• US 74
• US 76
• US 117
• US 421
• 
  US 421 Truck

North Carolina State Highways

• NC 132
• NC 133
• NC 140
• NC 417 (component highway for US 17 Byp.)

Alternative transportation options

Public transit in the area is provided by the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority,^[88] which operates fixed bus routes, shuttles, and a free downtown trolley under the brand name Wave Transit. A daily intercity bus service to Raleigh is provided by Greyhound Lines. Wilmington is also served by Amtrak Thruway bus connections to Wilson, North Carolina where connections can be made with Amtrak's Carolinian and Palmetto. The city's Union Station last had passenger train service in 1968 with the Seaboard Coast Line's predecessor version of the Palmetto. The Seaboard Air Line's station last had service in 1958, with a daily train to Charlotte via Hamlet.^[89][90]

The NCDOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 600 km brevet route.^[91]

The city of Wilmington offers transient docking facilities^[92] in the center of downtown Wilmington along the Cape Fear River approximately 12.5 miles (20 km) from the Intracoastal Waterway. The river depth in the run up from the ICW is in excess of 40 feet (12 m). Taxicab services are available from several vendors, however, the City's Taxi Commission keeps meter rates artificially low. In 2021, regulations were eased to help the taxi industry compete with other companies like Uber and Lyft.^[93]

The Gary Shell Cross-City Trail is primarily a multi-use trail that provides bicycle and pedestrian access to numerous recreational, cultural and educational destinations in Wilmington. The Gary Shell Cross-City Trail provides bicycle and pedestrian connection from Wade Park, Halyburton Park and Empie Park to the Heide-Trask Drawbridge at the Intracoastal Waterway.^[94] It also connects to the River to Sea Bikeway and the under-construction Central College Trail and Greenville Loop Trail.

Top employers

According to the City's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:^[98]

Mayors

List of mayors of Wilmington:

• John Sampson, 1760^[100]
• Frederick Gregg, c. 1760s^[100]
• Moses John deRosset, c. 1766^[100][101]
•  ?
• Hinton James c. 1800s, first student to attend the University of North Carolina^[102]
•  ?
• William James Harriss, ?–1839, physician, died in office^[103]
• Colonel John McRae c. 1855^{[104][105][106]}
• A.H. Van Bokkelen, 1866^[107]
• John Dawson?–1868^[107][108]
• Joseph H. Neff, 1868–?^[107][108]
• Silas N. Martin, 1871–1872^[107][109]
• S.H. (Solomon Harry) Fishblate 1878–1880, 1893^[110][111]
• Edward Dudley Hall 1883–1887^[112][113]
• A. G. Ricaud, 1891–1893^[114][115]
• Silas P. Wright 1897–1898,^[116][117] resigned at gunpoint and Waddell installed in his place.^[118]
• Alfred Moore Waddell, 1898–1906^[115][119]
• William B. Cooper, 1902–1903, as (mayor pro tempore)^[120]
• William E. Springer 1907–1910^[121][122]
• Joseph D. Smith, c. 1911^[123]
• P.Q. (Parker Quince) Moore, c.1913–1921^{[124][125][126]}
• James Cowen, c 1922^[127]
• William E. Mayo 1921–1924,^[128][129] died in office
• Katherine Mayo Cowan 1924–1925,^[129][130] assumed her husband's term
• Walter H. Blair, 1926–1937^{[131][132][115]}
• Robert E. Cooper 1937–1940^[133][134]
• Hargrove Bellamy 1941–1942^[135]
• Edgar Yow, 1942–1943^[136][137]
• Bruce B. Cameron 1943–1944, died in office^[138][139]
• W. Ronald Lane, 1945–1946^[140][141]
• J.E.L. "Hi, Buddy" Wade, 1948^[142] (mayor pro tempore), 1949–1950, 1958–1960^[143]
• Royce McClelland 1951^[144]
• E.S. Capps 1952–1953, 1960–1961^[143]
• E. L. White, c. 1953–1955^[115]
• Daniel David Cameron, 1956–1958^[143][145]
• Ogden Allsbrook, 1961–1970^[143][146]
• Hannah Block, c. 1963 (mayor pro tempore)^[146][147]
• Luther M. Cromartie, 1970–1971^[143]
• Benjamin David Schwartz, c. 1971–1972^{[143][148][149]}
• John Symes, 1972^[143]
• Herbert B. Brand, 1973–1975^[143]
• Ben Halterman, 1975–1983^[150]
• William Schwartz, c. 1983–1985^[151]
• Berry Armon Williams, 1985–1987^[152]
• Don Betz, 1987–1997^[143]
• Hamilton Hicks, 1997–1999^[143]
• David L. Jones, 1999–2001^[143]
• Harper Peterson 2001–2003^[143]
• Spence Broadhurst, 2003–2006
• Bill Saffo, 2007–present

Universities and colleges

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

• University of North Carolina at Wilmington
• Cape Fear Community College
• Shaw University (satellite campus)
• University of Mount Olive (satellite campus)
• University of North Carolina at Pembroke (satellite campus)
• Miller-Motte Technical College

Schools

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

Performing arts

The city supports a very active calendar with its showcase theater, Thalian Hall, hosting about 250 events annually. The complex has been in continuous operation since it opened in 1858 and houses three performance venues, the Main Stage, the Grand Ballroom, and the Studio Theater.^[156]

The Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center,^[157] 120 South Second Street in the Wilmington Historic District, is a multiuse facility owned by the City of Wilmington and managed by the Thalian Association,^[158] the Official Community Theater of North Carolina.^[159] Here, five studios are available to nonprofit organizations for theatrical performances, rehearsals, musicals, recitals and art classes. For more than half a century, the Hannah Block Historic USO Building has facilitated the coming together of generations, providing children with programs that challenge them creatively, and enhance the quality of life for residents throughout the region.

The Hannah Block Second Street Stage is home to the Thalian Association Children's Theater.^[160] It is one of the main attractions at the Hannah Block Community Arts Center. The theater seats 200 and is used as a performance venue by community theater groups and other entertainment productions.

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington College of Arts and Science departments of Theatre, Music and Art share a state-of-the-art, $34 million Cultural Arts Building, which opened in December 2006. The production area consists of a music recital hall, art gallery, and two theaters. Sponsored events include 4 theater productions a year.^[161]

The Brooklyn Arts Center at St. Andrews is a 125-year-old building on the corner of North 4th and Campbell St in downtown Wilmington. The Brooklyn Arts Center at Saint Andrews (BAC) is on the National Register of Historic Places. The BAC is used for weddings, concerts, fundraisers, art shows, vintage flea markets, and other community-driven events.^[162]

Wilmington is home to the Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts, a studio for foundlings. The Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts is the only studio in the region to offer Progressing Ballet Technique^[163] instruction from two certified instructors. The Conservatory is also host to Turning Pointe Dance Company, a faith-based dance company, which performs artistic pieces such as "Pinocchio" for the Wilmington Community.^[164]

Film

EUE/Screen Gems Studios (now Cinespace Wilmington) in November 2022

Wilmington City Hall, with movie crews filming in July 2012

Wilmington is home to Cinespace Wilmington. Its prominent place in cinema throughout the '80s and the '90s earned the city the moniker "Hollywood East". Popular television series like Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Sleepy Hollow, SIX,^[165] Good Behavior, Eastbound and Down and Under The Dome^[166] were filmed at the studio complex and on location throughout the city. Movies shot in Wilmington include Maximum Overdrive (1986), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Year of the Dragon (1985), Blue Velvet (1986), King Kong Lives (1986), Hiding Out (1987), Raw Deal (1986), Track 29 (1988), Weeds (1987), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), The Crow (1994), Silver Bullet (1985), Firestarter (1984),^[167] Iron Man 3,^[168] A Walk to Remember, We're the Millers, The Longest Ride and The Choice.^[169] Actor Brandon Lee was killed in an accidental shooting during the filming of The Crow.^[170]

Since 1995, Wilmington hosts an annual, nationally recognized, independent film festival called "Cucalorus."^[171] It is the keystone event of The Cucalorus Film Foundation, a non-profit organization. The Foundation also sponsors weekly screenings, several short documentary projects, and the annual Kids Festival, with hands on film-making workshops.

The Cape Fear Independent Film Network also hosts a film festival annually, and the Wilmington Jewish Film Festival also takes place yearly.^[172] For several years Wilmington was also the location of fan conventions for One Tree Hill, reuniting the cast and drawing tourists to the city.^[173]

In 2014, Governor Pat McCrory decided not to renew the film incentives, which ended up taking a massive toll on not just Wilmington's but North Carolina's entire film industry.^[174] As a result, most productions and film businesses moved to Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2017, there have been attempts to bring the industry back to North Carolina via the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant. This grant designates $31 million per fiscal year (Jul 1–Jun 30) in film incentives.^[175]

In 2022, Dark Horse Studios, which became Wilmington's second film studio in 2020, planned a 20 million dollar expansion to their studio complex in Wilmington, set to be complete in 2024.^{[176][177][178]}

On September 27, 2023, Cinespace Studios announced it had purchased the EUE/Screen Gems Studios location in Wilmington.^[23]

Literature

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

Birthplace of Robert Ruark (1915–1965)

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

Music

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

The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra was established in 1971 and offers throughout the year a series of five classical performances, and a Free Family Concert.^[179] 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.^[180]

Celebrating its 37th year, February 2 thru 4, 2017, the North Carolina Jazz Festival is a three-day traditional jazz festival that features world-renowned jazz musicians.^[181]

The Cape Fear Blues Society is a driving force behind blues music in Wilmington. The organization manages, staffs and sponsors weekly Cape Fear Blues Jams and the annual Cape Fear Blues Challenge talent competition (winners travel to Memphis TN for the International Blues Challenge). Its largest endeavor is the Cape Fear Blues Festival, an annual celebration that showcases local, regional and national touring blues artists performing at a variety of events and venues, including the Cape Fear Blues Cruise, Blues Workshops, an All-Day Blues Jam, and numerous live club shows. Membership in the CFBS is open to listeners and musicians alike.^[182]

Museums and historic areas

The USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, seen from downtown Wilmington across the Cape Fear River

The Railroad Museum is located behind the Hilton Hotel.

• Cameron Art Museum^[183]
• Bellamy Mansion Museum of History & Design Arts
• Cape Fear Museum of History and Science^[184]
• The Children's Museum of Wilmington^[185]
• First Baptist Church, founded in 1808
• First Presbyterian Church, historic Presbyterian church
• Grace United Methodist Church, founded in 1797
• Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center^[186]
• Latimer House Museum and Gardens^[187]
• St. James Episcopal Church, oldest church in Wilmington
• St. Mary Catholic Church, historic Roman Catholic church in Wilmington
• Sunset Park Historic District
• Temple of Israel, oldest synagogue in North Carolina
• USS North Carolina Memorial
• Wilmington Railroad Museum^[188]

The Second and Orange Street USO Club was erected by the Army Corps of Engineers at a cost of $80,000. Along with an identical structure on Nixon Street for African-American servicemen, it opened in December 1941, the same month that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. From 1941 to 1945, the USO hosted 35,000 uniformed visitors a week. Recently renovated with sensitivity to its historic character, the Hannah Block Historic USO (HBHUSO) lobby serves as a museum where World War II memorabilia and other artifacts are displayed. The building itself was rededicated in Ms. Block's name in 2006 and restored to its 1943 wartime character in 2008. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition,^[189] an all volunteer 501(c)(3) preservation organization, is the de facto preservationist of the building's history and maintains the home front museum.

Festivals

Wilmington is host to many annual festivals, including, most notably, the Azalea Festival. The Azalea Festival, sponsored by the Cape Fear Garden Club, features a garden tour, historic home tour, garden party, musical performances, a parade, and a fireworks show. It takes places every year in April.^[190]

Newspapers

The Star-News is Wilmington's daily newspaper; read widely throughout the Lower Cape Fear region and now owned by Gannett, following its merger with the Star's previous owner, GateHouse Media.^[191] A daily online newspaper, Port City Daily, is owned by Local Daily Media.^[192][193] Two historically black newspapers are distributed and published weekly: The Wilmington Journal and The Challenger Newspapers. Encore Magazine is a weekly arts and entertainment publication.

Broadcast radio

Television

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

• WWAY, Channel 3, (ABC affiliate, with CBS on 3.2 and CW on 3.3): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Morris Multimedia
• WECT, Channel 6, (NBC affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by Gray Television
• WILM-LD, Channel 10, (Independent station): licensed to Wilmington, owned by the Capitol Broadcasting Company
• WSFX-TV, Channel 26, (Fox affiliate): licensed to Wilmington, owned by American Spirit Media and operated by Gray Television
• WUNJ-TV, Channel 39, (PBS member station, part of the UNC-TV Network)

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

On September 8, 2008, at noon, WWAY, WECT, WSFX, WILM-LP and W51CW all turned off their analog signals, making Wilmington the first market in the nation to go digital-only as part of a test by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to iron out transition and reception concerns before the nationwide shutoff. Wilmington was chosen as the test market because the area's digital channel positions will remain unchanged after the transition.^[194] 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.^[195] W47CK did not participate due to its low-power status; FCC rules currently exempt low-powered stations from the 2009 analog shutdown.^[196] WILM-LP and W51CW chose to participate, even though they are exempt as LPTV stations.^[197]

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.^[198]

Art and literature

• Jock Brandis, author, co-founder of the Full Belly Project
• Wiley Cash, author
• Mark Cox, poet
• Minnie Evans, folk artist
• Barbara Guest, poet and prose stylist
• Will Inman, poet
• Sharyn McCrumb, author
• Peggy Payne, writer, journalist, and consultant to writers
• Celia Rivenbark, humor columnist and author
• Robert Ruark, author, syndicated columnist, and big game hunter
• Emily McGary Selinger, painter, writer, poet, and educator
• Betsy Thornton, author

Government and politics

• Joseph Carter Abbott, colonel in Union Army during American Civil War, Republican state senator representing North Carolina from 1868–1871
• John Dillard Bellamy, congressman
• Timothy Bloodworth, teacher and statesmen, elected to the 1st United States Congress
• Jeanne Milliken Bonds, mayor of Knightdale, North Carolina
• Deb Butler, representative for North Carolina's 18th House district
• John Cox, member of the Virginia House of Delegates
• George Davis, politician and lawyer
• Lucien C. Gause, lawyer and politician representing Arkansas
• Eustace Edward Green was a state legislator and educator in the North Carolina and a doctor in Georgia
• Susi Hamilton, Democratic representative for North Carolina's 18th House district
• Lethia Sherman Hankins, African American woman city council member
• Cornelius Harnett, merchant, farmer, and statesman, delegate for North Carolina in the Continental Congress
• William Hooper, delegate for North Carolina in the Continental Congress, signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, deputy attorney general of North Carolina, and federal judge
• John Peter LaFrenz, politician representing New York
• Charles A. McClenahan, member of the Maryland House of Delegates for district 38
• Daniel F. McComas, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, served as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing New Hanover County in the 13th and 19th House districts
• Harry Payne, state representative and North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
• Duncan K. McRae, attorney, diplomat, and state legislator
• Samuel D. Purviance, represented North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives
• Bill Saffo, longest serving mayor in Wilmington's history
• John Sampson, politician before and after the American Colonial era
• John Patterson Sampson, American abolitionist, newspaper publisher, writer, lawyer, judge, and minister^[206]
• Carson Smith, Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for the 16th district, previously served as sheriff to Pender County, North Carolina
• Charles Manly Stedman, politician and lawyer
• William Francis Strudwick, early U.S. congressman between serving 1796 and 1797
• James Thorington, lawyer, judge, and one term U.S. representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district
• Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump
• Alfred Moore Waddell, lawyer, politician, and publisher
• Garland H. White, preacher and politician who served as chaplain for the 28th United States Colored Infantry Regiment
• Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States

Media and entertainment

• Barnacle Boi, electronic music producer, vocalist, and visual artist
• David Brinkley, television newscaster for NBC and ABC
• Cliff Cash, stand-up comedian
• Charlie Daniels, country music legend, inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
• Sammy Davis Sr., dancer and father of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.
• Maddie Hasson, actress, best known for her role as Willa Monday on the short lived Fox television series The Finder
• Johnson J. Hooper, 19th century humorist
• Caterina Jarboro, first black opera singer ever to sing on an opera stage in America. In 1999, she was inducted into the Wilmington Walk of Fame.
• Charles Kuralt, award-winning journalist
• Jane McNeill, stage, film, and television actress
• Don Payne, writer and producer
• Sha-Rock (Sharon Green), Rapper and MC, considered the "first female rapper"
• Willis Richardson, playwright
• James Wall, stage manager and actor

Military

• Edwin Anderson Jr., Medal of Honor recipient
• Eugene Ashley Jr., Medal of Honor recipient
• Arthur Bluethenthal, football player and World War I pilot
• William D. Halyburton Jr., Medal of Honor recipient^[207]
• Joseph McNeil, member of the Greensboro Four during Civil rights movement, and former major general in the U.S. Air Force
• Charles P. Murray Jr., Medal of Honor recipient
• Ilario Pantano, United States Marine
• William Gordon Rutherfurd, commanded HMS Swiftsure during the Battle of Trafalgar
• Ted Sampley, Vietnam veteran and POW-MIA activist
• John Steele, paratrooper; subject of the film The Longest Day
• John Ancrum Winslow, officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and American Civil War

Sportspeople

• Kadeem Allen, basketball player in the NBA and currently for Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Marvin Allen, UNC Chapel Hill soccer coach
• Wright Anderson, Elon University football coach
• Reggie Barnes, former pro-skateboarder and owner of Eastern Skateboard Supply
• Connor Barth, NFL kicker
• Nick Becton, NFL offensive tackle
• Sam Bowens, MLB outfielder
• Derek Brunson, UFC fighter
• Jonathan Cooper, NFL offensive guard
• Alge Crumpler, NFL tight end
• Hoss Ellington, NASCAR driver
• Roman Gabriel, former NFL quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player winner
• Kenny Gattison, former NBA player
• Althea Gibson, professional tennis player, golfer, and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Tyrell Godwin, MLB outfielder
• Alex Highsmith, NFL linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Keever Jankovich, former NFL player
• Sam Jones, former NBA player and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
• Kitwana Jones, former CFL defensive end
• Michael Jordan, former NBA player and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame^[208][209]
• Sonny Jurgensen, former NFL quarterback and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Clarence Kea, professional basketball player
• Meadowlark Lemon, former Harlem Globetrotter and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
• Sugar Ray Leonard, professional boxer, Olympic gold medalist at 1976 Summer Olympics, member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
• Quinton McCracken, MLB outfielder
• Teana Miller, WNBA player
• Rodney Moore, professional boxer
• Ron Musselman, MLB pitcher
• Trot Nixon, MLB outfielder
• Jim Norton, NFL defensive lineman
• Pat Ogrin, NFL defensive tackle
• Sam Pellom, NBA player
• Jackie Rogers, NASCAR driver
• Jay Ross, NFL nose guard
• Robert Ruark, sportsman and syndicated writer
• Sonny Siaki, professional wrestler
• Charles Sinek, competitive ice dancer
• Harvest Smith, professional basketball player
• Willie Stargell, MLB outfielder and first baseman, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
• Ross Tomaselli, professional soccer player
• Ty Walker, professional basketball player
• Tamera "Ty" Young, WNBA player

Other notables

• Julia Dalton, Miss North Carolina USA 2015
• Kristen Dalton, Miss North Carolina USA 2009 & Miss USA 2009
• Sarah Graham Kenan, philanthropist
• Charles J. Mendelsohn, cryptographer and classicist
• Samuel Mendelsohn, Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and scholar
• Louis T. Moore, preservationist, author, historian, photographer, and civic promoter
• Eliza Hall Nutt Parsley, founder of the NC Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
• Thomas Peters, early founder of Sierra Leone
• Fred Pickler, actor, author, and photographer
• Fr. Thomas Price, first native Catholic priest of North Carolina
• Robert Robinson Taylor, American architect
• David Walker, Black abolitionist
• Amy Wright, CNN Hero of the Year 2017