The Old North State has a rich history, much of which still stands in the form of historic homes, both world-famous and local treasures. Take a look inside three of these architectural wonders.
The Beautiful Bellamy
In Wilmington, the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts is a splendid example of antebellum architecture that combines two styles in one home: Neoclassical Revival and Italianate. The impressive 22-room, 10,000-square-foot townhouse was built between 1859 and 1861 for the family of John Dillard Bellamy, who was a physician, planter and business leader.
The mansion-turned-museum has pocket doors and windows that slide into walls, a coal cellar, more than a dozen 25-foot columns, an English basement and a beautiful wrought-iron fence. All of its features are restored and maintained as they would have been during the Civil War, when federal troops commandeered the house as their headquarters during the occupation of Wilmington.
The museum also has recreated a version of the mansion’s formal gardens, complete with a crushed oyster shell pathway and heirloom plants. Environmentally friendly touches made their way inside the home, even in the 19th century, according to executive director Gareth Evans.
“Visitors are usually surprised that Victorians were so good at ‘green’ design,” Evans says. “The house has green design in the belvedere, giant windows for ventilation, porches for either avoiding or following the sun in various seasons, a well and a cistern that recycles water from the roof into a 6,600-gallon tank in the yard for reuse in the house.”
– Jessica Mozo
