Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts

The Bellamy Mansion (1859-1861) is one of North Carolinas most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture built on the eve of the Civil War by free and enslaved black artisans for John and Eliza Bellamy and their nine children. The compound was also home to nine enslaved African Americans who served the Bellamy family. After the fall of Fort Fisher in 1865, Federal troops commandeered the house as their headquarters during the occupation of Wilmington. Now the house is a museum that focuses on history and the design arts and offers tours, changing exhibitions and an informative look at historic preservation in action.