HISTORIC HOME TOUR: James Nutt House

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Azalea Festival Historic Home Tour features homes from many different eras including the early-20th century.

The James Nutt house at 1802 Chestnut Street is the only English Cotswold Cottage in the Wilmington historic district, according to the Azalea Festival website.

It was built in 1913, and when Lale and Paul Lewis bought it, they say it had seen better days. They said they had to gut the kitchen because of a termite infestation, plus re-plaster the ceilings and replace plumbing. It was work they said the Historic Preservation Tax credit helped them do. That's why they want lawmakers to reinstate it.

"It's important to keep the history of such a beautiful city, and the only way that's going to happen is to give people an incentive to help them offset some of the expense. We did apply for that and we did get it just in time," said Lale Lewis.

Next year, they said their backyard will be part of the Azalea Festival Garden Tour. You can go through their home this year during the Historic Home Tour.

The Historic Home Tour is Saturday, April 11 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, April 12 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are Tickets $25 in advance, and $30 on the day of the event. The ribbon cutting will be at the MacRae-Willard House at 520 Orange Street on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Click here for more information.

According to the Azalea Festival's website, the North Carolina Azalea Festival Home Tour is an annual event held by the Historic Wilmington Foundation. Proceeds from the Home Tour will advance the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s efforts to protect and preserve the irreplaceable historic resources of Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear region. Since 1966, the foundation has successfully saved more than 200 historic properties from demolition.