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Headquarters of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce in downtown Wilmington, NC
Originally organized in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1853,[1] the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 1866 by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly. At that time, Wilmington business leaders appreciated the potential of North Carolina's largest city and sought to lend guidance to the economic direction of the bustling port. While the Civil War and North Carolina's secession from the Union delayed the original Chamber's work, the eventual chartering in 1866 gave Wilmington's organization the distinction of being the first Chamber of Commerce in the state of North Carolina.[1] Despite governmental chartering, it is not a governmental entity. The Chamber is a membership-based, nonprofit organization of diverse membership.
A Board of Directors oversees policy-making for a membership of more than 1,000 companies. The efforts of the Board and members are supported by a professional staff located on the banks of the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Focus areas include Public Policy, Education, Infrastructure, Environment, Member Services, and Membership.
Mission
The Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce serves the Wilmington area business community by: strengthening the business environment; providing members with benefits and services to support their success; advocating a position on those business-related issues most beneficial to its members and the community; and participating in initiatives that positively affect the quality of life in the community. The Mission is enhanced through proactive leadership and partnerships throughout Southeastern North Carolina.
1869 – Members assessed $15 each to rent a room to locate the chamber.
1874 – Chamber committee visited Washington, DC to solicit a loan of $10,000 to $20,000 to continue work on the Cape Fear River and Bar Improvements until proper appropriations can be obtained.[5]
1874 – Principal efforts of chamber has been improvement of "our bar and river." The result is a vessel with a draft of 15'4" passed through Bald Head channel.
1880 – Report at annual meeting details closing of New Inlet and continued improvements on river.
1884 – Chamber reports a channel of 18 feet at ordinary high water from ocean to Wilmington if expected appropriation is made during next session of Congress.
1889 – Chamber meets to take action to insure success at the polls of measure exempting from taxation for a period of ten years new manufacturing industries started up in the city of Wilmington.
1896 – Chamber develops marketing advertisement showing advantages of harbor.
1899 – Chamber urges county or city ownership of Brunswick Ferry needed to decrease fares and increase trade from Brunswick County.
1901 – Chamber solicits money from its 106 members to send to Galveston after the 1900 Galveston Hurricane.
1903 – Savannah, Georgia organizes a chamber fashioned after the Wilmington Chamber. Chamber celebrates 50 year anniversary.
1905 – Chamber gets new blackboard to posts quotes from NY and Liverpool Cotton Exchanges, Chicago and Savannah Boards of Trade, NY Produce and Coffee Exchanges, and statistical matters on cotton and naval stores.
1906 – Chamber calls for river to be deepened to 24' at mean low tide.[5]
1909 – Chamber opposes raise in rates for residence phones in city.
1915 – Chamber goes on record as being opposed to "billboard nuisances," and favoring a park and tree commission.
1948 – Chamber leaders recommend hiring industrial consultant to represent area across the United States.
1953 – Chamber reminds community of economic impact of tourist and conventioneer dollars, using the Electrochemical Society and Sea Horse Institute's meetings as example of 500-600 delegates leaving $75,000 in community in 5 days.
1954 – Chamber pushes for U.S. Route 17 improvements to make it a major north-south route and names off-street parking the number one community need.
1955 – Chamber calls for federal funds to repair beaches damaged by Hurricane Hazel. Funds requested to dredge harbor to 34ft.
1956 – Chamber secures funds from business community to launch Industrial Committee of 100.[8]
1957 – Chamber solicits over $1,000,000 in conference and convention business for community.
1959 – Chamber testifies at hearing to justify need for river deepening to 36 feet. Also supports site for proposed bridge over Cape Fear River.
1960 – Chamber continues to stress need for high-level bridge over the Cape Fear River, indicating a low-level bridge will impede economic growth.
1961 – Chamber endorses need for new hospital and encourages votes to approve hospital bond issue.
1965 – Chamber sponsors Southeastern North Carolina Stock Show and names International Trade Committee. Hosts Governor's Agriculture–Industrial Tour.
1966 – First woman joins chamber as private citizen. Chamber leads effort resulting in Wilmington being named an All America City.
1968 – Chamber leads bond referendum for airport improvement.
1969 – Chamber participates in tourism and travel shows across the US, highlighting benefits of travel to Southeastern NC.
1970 – Chamber calls for extending Interstate 40 from its terminus in Durham, NC to Wilmington.
1973 – Chamber establishes Energy Task Force to help community deal with energy crisis, endorses referendum to allow sales of mixed beverages in counties that authorize such sales, and endorses the concept of a joint governmental complex to serve city and county.
New Hanover County is one of 100 counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 202,667. Though the second-smallest county in land area, it is one of the most populous, as its county seat, Wilmington, is one of the state's largest cities. The county was created in 1729 as New Hanover Precinct and gained county status in 1739.
Wilmington is a port city and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States.
The Cape Fear Skyway is a proposed limited access toll road and bridge to be built in North Carolina, United States, that will pass through portions of New Hanover and Brunswick counties.
Interstate 140 and North Carolina Highway 140 is a 26.3-mile (42.3 km) freeway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Broken into 2 designations, it serves as a bypass of Wilmington; providing a direct route between the Grand Strand and I-40. Officially known as the John Jay Burney Jr. Freeway, it is also known as the Wilmington Outer Loop, Wilmington Bypass and Northern Outer Loop. I-140 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that runs between U.S. Route 17 (US 17) near Leland to I-40 near Murraysville. NC 140 travels between I-40 and US 17 in Kirkland.
Wilmington International Airport is a public airport located just north of Wilmington, North Carolina, in unincorporated Wrightsboro, Cape Fear Township, New Hanover County. ILM covers 1,800 acres.
In early 2006 the North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA) conceived its proposal for a North Carolina International Terminal to be created on property that it purchased just north of the town of Southport, NC between the Progress Energy Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant and the Sunny Point Military Ammunitions Port. The NCSPA purchased the property in early 2006 for $30 million from Pfizer. Having met substantial public and political resistance in ensuing years, this proposal will not likely move forward in the foreseeable future.
Cape Fear is a coastal plain and Tidewater region of North Carolina centered about the city of Wilmington. The region takes its name from the adjacent Cape Fear headland, as does the Cape Fear River which flows through the region and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near the cape. Much of the region's populated areas are found along the Atlantic beaches and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, while the rural areas are dominated by farms and swampland like that of the Green Swamp. The general area can be also identified by the titles "Lower Cape Fear", "Wilmington Metropolitan Area", "Southeastern North Carolina", and "Azalea Coast". The latter name is derived from the North Carolina Azalea Festival held annually in Wilmington. Municipalities in the area belong to the Cape Fear Council of Governments.
Pleasure Island is a coastal barrier island in Southeastern North Carolina, USA just south of the City of Wilmington. Pleasure Island is located within Federal Point Township, in New Hanover County. The coastal resort towns of Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, as well as the annexed communities of Wilmington Beach and Hanby Beach are located on the island. The southern end of Pleasure Island was separated from Bald Head Island by Corncake Inlet until the inlet was shoaled and closed in 1998 by Hurricane Bonnie; thus Pleasure Island and Bald Head Island are no longer separate islands.
Eastern North Carolina is the region encompassing the eastern tier of North Carolina. It is known geographically as the state's Coastal Plain region. Primary subregions of Eastern North Carolina include the Sandhills, the Lower Cape Fear, the Crystal Coast, the Inner Banks and the Outer Banks. It is composed of the 41 most eastern counties in the state. Large cities include Greenville, Jacksonville, and Wilmington.
U.S. Route 421 (US 421) traverses approximately 328 miles (528 km) across North Carolina; from Fort Fisher, on Pleasure Island between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River, to the Tennessee state line near the community of Zionville. The highway is nominally labeled "north" and "south" throughout North Carolina, though it really follows a general northwest-southeast path. The segments from Buies Creek to Sanford and from Greensboro to Boone take on more of an east-west route direction, with compass west corresponding to the signed north direction.
U.S. Route 17 (US 17) in the U.S. state of North Carolina is a north–south highway that is known as the Coastal Highway in the southeastern half of the state and the Ocean Highway in other areas. The route enters the state from South Carolina near Calabash, and leaves in the vicinity of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. Between the US 64 freeway and the Virginia state line, US 17 is a four-lane divided highway with speed limits varying between 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) and 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).
The North Carolina Azalea Festival is an annual community festival in Wilmington, North Carolina. The largest festival of its kind in the state, it was founded in 1948, and takes place in April.
Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is a public community college in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is the sixth largest community college in the state with nearly 23,000 students taking classes each year. The service area of Cape Fear Community College includes New Hanover and Pender counties with a main campus located in downtown Wilmington and satellite campuses in Castle Hayne, Burgaw, and Surf City.
The George Davis Monument is a monument to Confederate politician George Davis in Wilmington, North Carolina erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Star-News is an American, English language daily newspaper for Wilmington, North Carolina, and its surrounding area. It is North Carolina's oldest newspaper in continuous publication. It was owned by Halifax Media Group until 2015, when Halifax was acquired by New Media Investment Group.
U.S. Highway 76 (US 76) is an east–west road in North Carolina running from the South Carolina state line to Wrightsville Beach. US 76 runs concurrently with US 74 for 52 miles (84 km) of the entire route in North Carolina. US 76 was first designated in North Carolina between late 1934 and 1935.
Louis Toomer Moore (1885–1961), was a prominent preservationist, author, historian, photographer, and civic promoter in coastal North Carolina.
Cape Fear Museum of History and Science is a museum located at 814 Market Street in downtown Wilmington in southeastern North Carolina. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest history museum in the state.
The Murchison Building is an eleven-story brick and marble building in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. It occupies the corner of Front and Chestnut Street. Sitting on historic waterfront property, the building overlooks the Cotton Exchange and Cape Fear Community College to the north, USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial and Cape Fear to the west, Riverfront Park and Chandlers Wharf to the south and Wilmington Downtown including its Courthouse to the east.
Built in 1771, the Burgwin-Wright House is the only structure in Wilmington, North Carolina from the colonial era open to the public. Built for merchant, planter and government official John Burgwin, the house today offers a unique opportunity to view a fine example of Georgian architecture and experience what life was like during pre-revolutionary Wilmington. All rooms are furnished with 18th and 19th century antiques and showcase hundreds of objects. Built on the original walls of a former city jail, circa 1744, the house retains many vestiges of its previous incarnation such as outdoor and sub-basement jail cells and a freestanding kitchen house with a massive hearth. Occupying two-thirds of an acre, the colonial style gardens consist of seven distinct areas, including an orchard with pomegranate and fig trees, a kitchen garden and a rose garden.
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