Burgwin-Wright House

Built in 1770 for merchant John Burgwin, this is the only surviving colonial-era structure in Wilmington open to the public. It sits on the site of the original town jail from the 1740s, and Lord Cornwallis used it as his Revolutionary War headquarters.

The Burgwin-Wright House stands at 224 Market Street in Wilmington, a Georgian townhouse built in 1770 that is the only colonial-era structure in the city open to the public. But the building's history begins before the elegant house itself, in a chapter far darker: this site was once Wilmington's first jail, from 1744 until a fire destroyed it in 1768. Men awaited execution here on what was known as Gallows Hill. In a 250-year-old home built atop the foundations of a prison, it's no surprise that the dead have not found rest.

John Burgwin built the mansion that bears his name, and during the Revolutionary War, Lord Cornwallis himself occupied the house as his headquarters during the British campaign in North Carolina. The Wright family purchased the property in 1799 and lived here until 1869. Each era has contributed its own spirits to the house, from condemned prisoners to colonial soldiers to the families who called it home.

The activity at the Burgwin-Wright House is constant and well-documented. The most dramatic incident occurred when a tour group witnessed an antique spinning wheel begin to move on its own. When they approached to investigate, the wheel froze in place. The spinning wheel has been seen operating without human hands on multiple occasions, and some visitors have glimpsed a woman sitting at the wheel, working as if she had never stopped.

Museum docent Ardell Tiller reported an experience that has been repeated by many staff members: closing the door to the Blue Bedroom while locking up for the night, only to find it standing open the next morning. Executive Director Joy Allen has caught glimpses of figures walking by while sitting at her desk -- figures that vanish when she turns to look directly at them. Staff members hear heavy footsteps walking from one side of the house to another, though no one is there.

The most unsettling phenomena occur in the subbasement, the remnant of the old colonial jail. A constant sound of low muttering pervades the space, as if prisoners are still speaking to one another in the darkness. When the Wilmington Paranormal Research group investigated, they claimed to record indiscernible voices. Port City Paranormal reported hearing muffled conversations, a cough, and a woman sobbing. In the former jail area, they captured a voice saying "Right, that time," and a female voice speaking the name "Stephanie."

Visitors have walked out of tours because the anxiety becomes too overwhelming -- perhaps the lingering emotions of men who were imprisoned here, awaiting the gallows. The weight of their fear seems to have seeped into the very walls.

The Burgwin-Wright Museum offers interpreter-led night tours on the first Friday of each month, exploring the rituals and superstitions of colonial nightlife. During daylight hours, visitors can take guided tours of the mansion or explore the gardens on their own. But in a house built upon a jail where men died by hanging, the line between history and haunting is very thin indeed.