History with ‘Hud’: The last remaining trolley station from a once busy Wilmington line
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Getting between Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach is a simple journey by car today. But in the early half of the 20th century, there was another more popular option for beachgoers looking to get out of the city and onto the sand.
The Tidewater Power Electric Company’s trolley line to Wrightsville Beach was established in 1902 and ran for nearly four decades until the last journey took place in late April of 1940.
Twenty stops dotted the nine-mile line with all but one being lost to time. The only evidence of the forgotten line is a structure on the median at the intersection of Park Avenue and Audubon Boulevard, still offering a window into the past.
The Audubon Trolley Station popped up around 1911 and was replaced by the present-day structure in the early 1930s. It’s the last surviving of its kind in southeastern North Carolina.
It features a Mission Revival style shelter with walls radiating out from a central point to create a Greek cross in plan. The roof was replaced in the past and is covered by rounded tile glazed with a green color.
The concrete complex was placed on the National Register of Historic Place in 1993.
Today trolleys are still visible around Wilmington as motorized options. But the small, often overlooked structure in the outskirts of town still remind people passing by of a simpler and less congested time.
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.
