ALLISON POTTER
33
Cape Fear HISTORIC BY WAY
New Hanover County’s other scenic byway also features
water views, but this time of a river and lake.
This route in downtown Wilmington goes through what
NCDOT calls “one of the most scenic urban areas in the
nation.” It includes views of the Cape Fear River, some of the
city’s famous colonial-era buildings, and Greenfield Lake.
The byway begins north of downtown at the intersection
of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and North Third Street,
adjacent to the Isabel Holmes Bridge. After driving south on
North Third Street, turn right on North Front and enjoy the
sweeping view of the Cape Fear. Turn right onto Red Cross
Street, which becomes North and then South Water Street.
This section features the federal courthouse, the Riverwalk,
and many of downtown’s unique shops and restaurants. The
U.S.S. North Carolina can be seen across the river.
Turn left onto Ann Street and follow it for a block, then
turn right onto South Front Street to see some of the city’s
historic homes. Turn left onto Castle Street and then right
onto South Fifth Street to see more of Wilmington’s historic
district.
At the end of South Fifth, the byway enters Greenfield Park
at East Lake Shore Drive and
continues around Green-field
Lake. After becoming
West Lake Shore Drive, this
section ends at Carolina
Beach Road. Take a right,
then another on Willard
Street. Follow it for two
blocks and turn left onto
South Fifth Street, passing
again through the historic
district.
After about a mile turn
left onto Castle Street
and then right onto South
Third Street to see the city’s
government buildings,
historic churches, and
Thalian Hall. A brief detour
onto Market Street will take
motorists past the Bellamy
Mansion, First Baptist
Church, and the Kenan
Memorial Fountain.
Head back up Third Street
to Martin Luther King Jr.
Parkway to complete the
loop.
Top: The Cape Fear Historic Byway takes motorists past historic homes on
downtown Wilmington’s South Front Street. Above: The byway begins
and ends near the 1898 Memorial on Third Street. Left and inset: Water
Street runs along the Cape Fear River, providing a view of the U.S.S. North
Carolina, before becoming one way only through an area of shops and
restaurants.
ALLISON POTTER ALLISON POTTER
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM