63
grounds of the second oldest house in Wilmington, Shandy Place.
“This barn was a part of that property, where there were fruit and pecan orchards, all kinds
of crops and fields,” Hemingway says.
The structure is hundreds of years old, originally two barns constructed in the 1700s.
“One of the barns was used as a stable,” Hemingway says. “There is a rumor that the other
one was used as slave quarters by the original owners, but we don’t know for sure.”
The two buildings were eventually combined, and the large space was used for many
things, including boat construction, until the Hemingways purchased the property.
The previous owner, whose son was also an architect, added water and electricity. A
movie filmed there in the ’90s had a lead character who painted in the space. As Hemingway
observes, “art mimicking life or life mimicking art.”
Below: Chip Hemingway’s
studio is also a gather-ing
spot for family and
friends, complete with sit-ting
area, oyster table and
dining table. Opposite:
Hemingway often has
more than one canvas in
progress at a time.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM