Coming to Visit Historic Wilmington, North Carolina this summer? 

Tour Group Discounts

5 Star Story Tellers!

Always a great day for a Haunted Cotton Exchange or
a History Walking Tour!


Group Discounts with 10 or more, age 12 and under FREE with adult.  Great for bus tours groups, clubs,schools, family reunions, company outings, fund raisers..
Fun for the whole family!


Call for Tour Times
Call 910-409-4300
info.touroldwilmington@gmail.com

The Kenan Fountain

Market Street & Fifth Avenue

An architectural gem, the Kenan Memorial Fountain was erected in 1921 in the middle of the large intersection of Fifth Avenue and Market Street. Wilmington native, William Rand Kenan, Jr., gave the fountain to the city to memorialize his parents, William Rand and Mary Hargrave Kenan.  Carrere and Hastings of New York, a respected architectural firm that designed the New York Public Library, drew the plans for the fountain.  It was made out of Indiana limestone and cost $43,000.   The fountain was sculpted in New York, then dismantled and shipped to Wilmington where it was rebuilt.

When Mr. Kenan gave the fountain to the city most residents still walked or took a streetcar. However, some pessimistic citizens predicted that it would become a traffic hazard.  Their forecast came true as the city grew and automobiles became a preferred mode of transportation.  

 Source: A Pictorial History of Wilmington by Anne Russell

To purchase the book please visit the Two Sisters Bookery @ the Cotton Exchange in Wilmington NC

Latimer House 3rd Street Wilmington NC

Latimer House on 3rd Street Wilmington NC