Coast Guard Station

Originally published in the August 2001 issue of Wrightsville Beach Magazine. Ever since man has gone down to the sea in ships, great risks have been run to rescue those in danger. To improve the possibility of success, responsibility had to be delineated and means appropriated. In 1831, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury directed…

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In View

Floating Masterpieces The Rebel, a 48-foot classic Elco motor yacht  restored by boatbuilder David Flagler, cruises down  the Cape Fear River in August 201 . Originally published in the September 2016 issue of  Wrightsville Beach Magazine.

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Sailors’ Valentines

Originally published in the February 2014 issue of Wrightsville Beach Magazine. It is the stuff of legend. Sailors who spent years away from their wives and sweethearts at sea spent hours crafting intricate, geometric designs made from colorful shells with messages like “Forget Me Not” or “Think of Me When Far Away.” But sailors’ valentines,…

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Up Front

We are at long last taking the advice of a great number of our readers who have over many years suggested we create a collection of published single-topic stories. Whether it be homes, people, recipes, architecture, design, history or nature, there is a wealth of material to choose from over these past 20-plus years. This…

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Award-Winning Adaptive Reuse

The red brick Pearsall Memorial Presbyterian Church on the south side of Market Street flourished when Rev. Dr. B. Frank Hall was the pastor from 1949-1977. Hall was a theologian known for his eloquence in the pulpit and in his local newspaper articles. He had deep Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach roots, the family maintaining a…

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Hello Birdie

Walking a coastal barrier island at the end of July 2022, a visitor near the mud flats notices a plump little bird with a long beak and short legs. When the shorebird scurries away, the human gives it no more thought. It is doubtful they knew this was a short-billed dowitcher, which had flown 2,000…

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Honoring the gift and legacy of Michael Ross Kersting

Beginning in the 1990s, Michael Kersting, AIA, conceived architecture no one dreamed possible, wowing the most seasoned veterans and raking in some of the most prestigious awards in the country. With each rock-star custom home, with each transcendent commercial project, the name Michael Kersting became more renowned and prominent. Kersting decided to become an architect…

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Saniya in Red

The 2022-23 college women’s basketball season tips off in October with 20 hours of practice allowed per week per NCAA guidelines leading up to preseason games. At NC State, a new story will unfold when Wilmington’s Saniya Rivers makes her first appearance with the Wolfpack on Nov. 3 vs. UNC Pembroke. Rivers shocked her fans…

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Inviting Outdoor Spaces

The concept of outdoor living is operating on a whole new level these days. We’re talking custom-built fireplaces, full-scale outdoor kitchens with pizza ovens, designer furniture, flat-screen TVs, and Pinterest-worthy greenery and lighting. It’s money well spent according to national real estate site Inman, which found adding an outdoor kitchen sees an average return on…

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Eye Of The Beholder

Walks along the Cape Fear River become more frequent and enticing for artist Helen Doemland with each treasure she finds. The treasures are pieces of driftwood that appear along the riverbanks following a storm near her newly built home at Riverlights in Wilmington. “One of the most amazing things about the wood is it will…

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