Riverfront in Wilmington in New Hanover County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

St. Thomas the Apostle Church

1845-1847

— J.C. & R. B. Wood, builders —

St. Thomas the Apostle Church Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 23, 2024

1. St. Thomas the Apostle Church Marker

Inscription. Gothic Revival style church built for Roman Catholic parish established January 1, 1845. Home church of the Maryknoll Fathers, a missionary order, and James Gibbons (1834-1921), first Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina, later first American cardinal. Site of funeral for Confederate spy Rose O'Neal Greenhow in 1864. From 1911 to 1966 mission parish of Society of St. Joseph with a predominant African American congregation. Historic St. Thomas Preservation Society, incorporated 1979, adapted the building as a cultural arts center.

Erected by Historic Wilmington Foundation, Inc.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the North Carolina, Historic Wilmington Foundation series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is January 1, 1845.

Location. 34° 14.055′ N, 77° 56.803′ W. Marker is in Wilmington, North Carolina, in New Hanover County. It is in Riverfront. It is on Dock Street east of South 2nd Street, on the

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right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 208 Dock St, Wilmington NC 28401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and on the Cape Fear Coast.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: deRosset House (a few steps from this marker); Eureka Dye Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Elizabeth H. Bridgers Mansion (within shouting distance of this marker); Washington's Southern Tour (within shouting distance of this marker); Wooster House (within shouting distance of this marker); James Gibbons (within shouting distance

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 23, 2024

2. St. Thomas the Apostle Church Marker

of this marker); Mahler Office (within shouting distance of this marker); DeStrac House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilmington.

Also see . . .
1. Wilmington Historic District (PDF). National Register of Historic Places nomination for the district, which includes this property and was listed in 1974. (Prepared by Survey and Planning Unit, North Carolina Division of Archives and History; via North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office) (Submitted on December 17, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Wilmington Historic District Boundary Expansion and Additional Documentation (PDF). National Register nomination that expanded the district in 2003. (Prepared by Sherry Joines Wyatt and L. Robbie King; via North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office) (Submitted on December 17, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. Saints Among Us (PDF). Feature story on Betty Ann Sanders, executive director of the St. Thomas Preservation Society, which owns the former church building. Story

St. Thomas the Apostle Church (front) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 23, 2024

3. St. Thomas the Apostle Church (front)

includes some history of the parish. (Melissa Slaven Warren, Our State Magazine, December 2005) (Submitted on December 17, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

St. Thomas the Apostle Church image. Click for full size.

Wilmington Up-to-Date, I.J. Isaacs; via University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Public Domain), circa 1902

4. St. Thomas the Apostle Church

The church as it appeared at the turn of the 20th century.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 14, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 222 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 14, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on December 17, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.