100th History with ‘Hud’: Marking 100 installments with 100 years of history
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — This is the 100th installment of my History with ‘Hud’ series, which started back in April of 2023 to highlight local history from around the Cape Fear. In honor of the milestone, I decided to take a look back at things which popped up exactly 100 years ago – in 1925.
Early in the year, a historical building in downtown Wilmington was completed. The Cape Fear Hotel opened for business on January 10, 1925, initially filling its 150 rooms with overflow guests from nearby full hotels, such as the Orton and Hotel Wilmington. It was built at a cost of $40,000 and stands as the only surviving major downtown hotel built before World War Two.
The following month saw the introduction of the idea to incorporate Carolina Beach. The plan was introduced in the House on February 21, with the process going through numerous channels until it was ratified by the Senate and sent to the Secretary of the State on March 6. The official incorporation finally took place in September, when the mayor and other town officers assumed office.
Also celebrating a century this year is the Cape Fear Garden Club, which began on February 11, 1925. The first meeting was held in Saint James Episcopal Parish, with just 12 people in attendance. The group has since grown to more than 300 people, and is known for the annual Azalea Garden Tour.
That year also saw the Cape Fear Garden Club, among other groups, urging the City of Wilmington to purchase Greenfield Lake and the surrounding property for $25,000. It became Wilmington’s first city park and provided workers during the Great Depression with jobs clearing undergrowth and paving the road around it. Azaleas planted around the lake would go on to help inspire the annual Azalea Festival.
Around 50 miles west of the Port City in Bladen County, the third courthouse for the county built in 1893 was greatly expanded in 1925. It was updated again in 1965, and provides court access to the 30,000 residents of the county.
1925 ended on a much lower note, with the First Presbyterian Church burning down on New Year’s Eve, marking the third time the historic building had been struck by a fire. This came decades after the church was completed on April 28, 1861. A new building popped up in 1928 and remains the church attended by hundreds of worshipers each Sunday.
A lot of history has taken place in the region over the last 100 years, and I’ve covered a lot of it in my last 100 History with ‘Hud’ posts. Only time will tell what is in store for the next 100 years, and the next 100 posts.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each morning on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.
To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.
