Renovated downtown Wilmington building earns award

Cheryl M. Whitaker, Wilmington StarNews
·1 min read
Exterior of the beautifully renovated historic building located at 1 S. Front St., now Seabird restaurant. In the renovation process, original window frames with rope and pulleys and woodwork dating back to 1899 were discovered and restored based on historic photographs and documentation.
Exterior of the beautifully renovated historic building located at 1 S. Front St., now Seabird restaurant. In the renovation process, original window frames with rope and pulleys and woodwork dating back to 1899 were discovered and restored based on historic photographs and documentation.

The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit gives deserved recognition to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to historic preservation through extraordinary leadership, research, philanthropy, promotion, and/or significant participation in preservation.

The renovation of the building located at 1 S. Front St. in downtown Wilmington recently earned that award. It was presented to James Goodnight, of Raleigh, at Preservation North Carolina’s virtual annual conference on Oct. 22.

Interior of Seabird. Original details such as hardwood flooring and a tin ceiling have been preserved.
Interior of Seabird. Original details such as hardwood flooring and a tin ceiling have been preserved.

The award is named in honor of the late Gertrude S. Carraway, a noted New Bern historian and preservationist.

More: 9 things to expect at Seabird in downtown Wilmington

Seabird restaurant now occupies the first-floor of the building. Original details such as hardwood flooring and a tin ceiling have been preserved.

The recorded awards ceremony can be viewed at presnc.org.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington Seabird restaurant building earns statewide honor