The Cape Fear region has no shortage of historically significant sites. As part of a USA TODAY initiative, the StarNews is highlighting three of those spots — Moores Creek National Battlefield, the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens and the Battleship North Carolina.
USA 250 Most Treasured Views is a USA TODAY Network project exploring places across America with historical and cultural significance, created in celebration of the USA 250 initiative marking the nation’s 250th birthday.
Read More: How Chimney Rock, one of North Carolina’s most patriotic views, returned from Helene
These three Wilmington-area sites offer a unique experience and interesting information about the area’s history.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
Moores Creek National Battlefield, located 20 miles northwest of Wilmington, North Carolina, is the site of the first decisive Patriot victory of the Revolutionary War. This victory led to North Carolina being the first state to instruct its delegates to vote for independence from Great Britain. Today, visitors can still see the earthworks from that battle, while monuments and replicas relay the battle’s history. For those more oriented to nature, the 88-acre park, which is managed by the National Park Service, offers a glimpse into the ecological diversity that defines southeastern North Carolina, from pine savannahs to cypress swamps. Plan your visit at https://www.nps.gov/mocr/index.htm.
Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
The spirit of 1776 may be found in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens. The British captured Wilmington near the end of the Revolutionary War, and for three weeks in 1781, a British general, Lord Charles Cornwallis, occupied the house. Built in 1770 atop the city’s first jail (circa 1744), it was originally a townhouse for merchant John Burgwin, who was the treasurer for the colony as well as the private secretary for the last two royal governors of North Carolina. Burgwin sold the house to Joshua Grainger Wright in 1799. After falling into disrepair, the house nearly became a gas station, but the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina saved the historic landmark by purchasing one of Wilmington’s oldest structures for $21,000 in 1937. The house was restored and became a museum house in 1951. Plan your visit at https://www.burgwinwrighthouse.com/.
Battleship North Carolina
The Battleship North Carolina, moored in the Cape Fear River across from downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, is a symbol of state pride and national history.
The retired vessel participated in every WWII major naval offensive in the Pacific theater, where it earned 15 battle stars, making it the most decorated American battleship of World War II.
Today, the battleship serves as a museum, providing an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to explore history firsthand.
Throughout the ship’s nine levels, visitors can see turrets, engine rooms and living spaces, experiencing what it was like for the crew to live and fight aboard the Battleship North Carolina. Plan your visit at https://battleshipnc.com.
Reporting by Charlie Kingree, Bob Liepa and Sherry Jones, Wilmington StarNews / Wilmington StarNews
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
