#TBT: From city jail to historical headquarters, the Burgwin-Wright House

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — This Throwback Thursday we’re taking a look at one of the top 20 oldest houses in North Carolina. The Burgwin-Wright is the oldest museum house in the state and it’s right here on Market St. in Downtown Wilmington.

The house was built in 1770 for John Burgwin, a wealthy merchant and planter who had just moved to Wilmington from England. Not long after it was finished, the home was overtaken by Lord Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War. The house served as his primary headquarters.

For the next few centuries, the house was home to a number of prominent Wilmington families including Burgwin’s original Business partner Charles Jewke and his wife Ann Grainger Wright.

By the late 1800’s the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in North Carolina had become a prominent organization in the city. They began working to obtain the Burgwin-Wright House, and by 1937 the house became headquarters to the ‘Dames.’

In 1951 the house was officially opened to the public. The house has been preserved as a museum, complete with furniture and decorations fitting of the Georgian style home.

The Burgwin-Wright House was built on the foundation of what was once a city jail. Over the years ghost hunters and paranormal experts have often come to explore the home to see if anyone still resides there.

**Special thanks to the Cape Fear Museum.**