Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens

The only colonial-era structure in Wilmington that is open to the public is the Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens, built in 1770. The house gives visitors the chance to see a superb example of Georgian architecture and get a glimpse of life in Wilmington before the American Revolution.

The largest National Register Historic District in North Carolina is located in Wilmington. Hundreds of historic structures from the 19th and early 20th centuries are located inside roughly 200 square blocks. Only three homes from the Colonial era are still standing. We are proud that the Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens is one of them.

The home, which was built around 1744 on the ballast stone walls of the former city jail, still has many relics from its past life. Including outdoor and basement jail cells and a separate kitchen building with a huge stove filled with antique cooking utensils. Guided tours at the Burgwin-Wright House tell the histories of the residents and employees as well as the women’s group that fought to keep this historic structure from being demolished.

Each room in the Burgwin-Wright House displays hundreds of items that are furnished with antiquities from the 18th and 19th centuries. The colonial-style gardens, which cover an acre, have seven different sections. There is a rose garden, a kitchen garden, and an orchard with pomegranate and fig trees.

Step back in time and visit the Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens.