When we watch our favorite TV programs or movies, it’s more than the
characters and plot that resonate; the setting helps guide our emotional
process. That’s certainly true for fans of the popular teen drama “Dawson’s
Creek,” set in the coastal town of Capeside, Massachusetts, but actually filmed
in and around Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and Southport.
The town’s idyllic places — creeks where teenagers row their boats to each
other’s homes, quaint downtown streets, and gorgeous houses on the water —
helped form a bond between viewer and character, and remain popular with
fans today, 15 years after the show went off the air. Devotees still flock to the
Port City to experience the locations firsthand.
For fans of “Dawson’s Creek,” nowhere is as iconic as Dawson Leery’s house.
From the ladder Joey climbed to Dawson’s room to the dock where the friends
met frequently, it’s more than a physical place; it’s a metaphor for what the show
means to devoted viewers who tuned in faithfully every Wednesday night.
For Margaret Hummel, this means strangers strolling in her yard, asking for
one glimpse, one picture, one moment to relive the show.
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In real life, the Leery residence is the Hummel residence.
Margaret’s grandfather built the house, which
sits on Hewletts Creek, in 1880. She grew up here,
moved away for a time, and eventually moved back.
Today, Margaret lives there with her husband Bill
Hummel, daughter Cissy Russell, and Cissy’s partner,
Lance Bowser.
People come from all over the world — Brazil,
England, Italy, Japan — often bearing gifts. Some
send handwritten letters, asking permission first.
Although the family prefers that they ask permission,
some just show up. The frequency of visitors
can range from a few a week to three separate
groups in a single day.
“I interact with the fans,” Hummel says. “They like
to go down to the water, go down to the pier, see the
house from the front. Houses that are on the water,
the front is the side that faces the water.”
That often confuses first-time visitors. When
arriving, you expect to see Dawson’s house, but
only after walking around to the front and seeing
the creek and dock do you feel as if you’re
on set.
Visiting the house was a dream come true
for Zoe Cittern. When she and her husband
planned a holiday from England to
Canada and the U.S., adding Wilmington
to the itinerary was non-negotiable for the
“Dawson’s Creek” fan.
“Anytime you see a filming location in
real life, it’s never quite as it appears in the
television show. Especially since ‘Dawson’s
Creek’ aired 20 years ago now, so things
don’t always look the same,” Cittern says.
“However, the house and the dock are