ARCHAEOLOGY

The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office statewide inventory contains information on over 700 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites in New Hanover County including the Rose Hill Shipwreck, the H. G. Wright, the Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck District, and the Wilmington Historic and Archaeological District.

ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY

The Historic Preservation Office has supervised comprehensive architectural surveys of downtown Wilmington, several other Wilmington neighborhoods, and New Hanover County. Surveys are cooperative local-state projects accomplished with grants and staff assistance from the Historic Preservation Office.

GRANTS

Since 1976, New Hanover County has received $361,817 in federal subgrants from the Historic Preservation Office for projects including architectural surveys and National Register nominations in Wilmington and restorations of such landmarks as the deRosset House and the New Hanover County Courthouse. State grants and special appropriations of $1,514,210 have assisted the restoration of the Bellamy Mansion, the deRosset House, Giblem Lodge, James B. Dudley School, and Thalian Hall.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

There are nineteen National Register listings in New Hanover County which include the Wilmington Historic and Archaeological District, Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck District, Carolina Heights Historic District, Carolina Place Historic District, City Hall/Thalian Hall, Federal Building, Wilmington National Cemetery, Fort Fisher, Market Street Mansion Historic District, and the Masonboro Sound Historic District. Fort Fisher and the U.S.S. North Carolina are National Historic Landmarks.

LOCAL PRESERVATION COMMISSIONS

The Historic Preservation Office provides technical assistance to the county's two local preservation commissions, the Wilmington Historic Districts Commission and the Wrightsville Beach Historic Preservation Commission. They oversee two districts in Wilmington and three landmarks in Wrightsville Beach. In 1997, the Historic Preservation Office awarded a Certified Local Government grant to the Wilmington Historic Districts Commission for the development of comprehensive design guidelines for the city.

PRESERVATION TAX CREDITS

First in the state in the number of tax credit projects, New Hanover County has seen 115 income-producing projects completed at a total construction investment of $23,650,000, including the "The Cotton Exchange," the James Walker Nursing School Quarters, the William Hooper School, the deRosset House, the Wilmington and Weldon Freight Warehouses and Office, the deRosset House, and the William Hooper School, all in Wilmington. Nineteen additional income-producing projects are currently undergoing renovation. Seven residences are currently undergoing renovation to utilize the new state tax credit for non-income-producing structures.The Historic Preservation Office reviews and provides restoration technical services for all preservation tax credit projects.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLICATIONS

The Historic Preservation Office assisted the Junior League of Wilmington in publishing Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait in 1984, and in 1986 assisted New Hanover County in publishing Historic Architecture of New Hanover County, North Carolina. The staff of the Underwater Archaeology Unit of the Historic Preservation Office, in cooperation with the Cape Fear Museum, created a comprehensive outreach program for eighth graders entitled "Hidden Beneath the Waves." Other public programs and lectures have included investment tax credit workshops in 1993 and 1997, and a historic district workshop in 2000.

RESTORATION

New Hanover County is a perennial leader in the state in preservation work, and the Historic Preservation Office provides continual support for the preservation activity in the county. Staff has provided technical assistance to many projects including Thalian Hall, the New Hanover County Courthouse, the Sixth Street Bridge, the Bellamy Mansion, Giblem Lodge, Holy Trinity Church, the Masonic Building, Delgado School, the Cape Fear Museum, the Reichter Building, and others.