Construction of the Bellamy Mansion began in 1859 and was completed in 1861. It is a combination of Neoclassical architectural styles, including Greek Revival and Italianate, and is located at 503 Market Street in the heart of downtown Wilmington, North Carolina area. It is considered to be one of the greatest specimens of old antebellum architecture in the state of North Carolina. As a contributing building to the Wilmington Historic District, it deserves to be recognized.
Four-generation members of the Bellamy family formed the nonprofit organization Bellamy Mansion Inc. in February 1972 with the goal of beginning the preservation and restoration of the historic home. Unfortunately, arsonists set fire to the house one month later. However, even though the fire service was able to put out the flames, significant damage was done to a huge portion of the building’s interior.
Following the tragic fire that occurred in March 1972, Bellamy Mansion, Inc. was faced with a whole new set of obstacles when it came to the restoration of the house itself. Damage to the plaster work had been considerable, and most of the house’s original wood had been lost. The water used to extinguish the blaze caused more damage to the building. The restoration effort gained momentum over the next two decades as more Bellamy family members and community volunteers joined the effort to raise awareness and finances for the project.
The Bellamy Mansion, Inc. organization worked tirelessly throughout the 1970s and 1980s to finish the external restoration of the main house and servants’ quarters at the rear of the site, as well as to generate funding for the interior restorations. The property was donated to the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina in 1989 after the corporation made the decision to do so. As a result, the mansion was designated as a public historic site. The necessary interior renovations were completed over the course of a few years, and the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts formally opened its doors to the public in 1994.
Modern-day operations include the operation of the Bellamy Mansion Museum, which is dedicated to the study of history and design arts, as well as its designation as a Stewardship Property of Preservation North Carolina. The venue frequently hosts shifting exhibits of history and design, as well as a variety of community activities, such as the annual garden tour of the world-renowned North Carolina Azalea Festival, which takes place in Wilmington every spring.
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