Eagles Island discoveries shed light on local history

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — New discoveries on Eagles Island are shedding light on Wilmington’s history, dating back to before and during the Civil War, and helping paint a more complete picture of the region’s past.

Foundations of old buildings and railway abutments are scattered across the island, offering evidence of industrial activity from centuries ago.

“We found the remains that probably of industrial activity that probably dates to before the Civil War,” said Jay Martin.

Those findings are helping archaeologists — including Jay Martin, executive director of the Battleship North Carolina — rethink the history of Eagles Island, showing there is far more to the site than the ship itself.

“We found the foundations of buildings and foundations of some of the railroad equipment and things that were laid here, the rails that came out, the abutments that allowed this to be a trainyard before the Civil War,” said Martin.

Martin said the Battleship North Carolina now sits on land that was once a pre-Civil War village, which helps explain the brick foundations and concrete walls still across the island.

The railway abutments — structural supports typically found at the ends of bridges — also point to a key part of Wilmington’s economic past.

“It was the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad, and it served the interior; it made Wilmington a great interior port serving not only North Carolina but South Carolina and beyond, and so this is one more step in terms of documenting and telling that story,” said Martin.

Martin said the discoveries highlight a broader and often overlooked history beyond the Battleship.

“The remains that we have here are super important to help us reinterpret the history of Eagles Island. So, much of what people think about the island is related to the Battleship and to the environment, but there’s past history here all the way from the Native Americans to the present day,” said Martin.

Research on Eagles Island and surrounding properties is ongoing, with the potential for more artifacts to be uncovered. Martin said he hopes the findings will bring more attention to the island’s historical significance and the importance of preserving it.