HISTORY FUTURE OF WILMINGTON'S

BY CECE NUNN | PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY , LOGAN BURKE

TERRY JACKSON SPEAKS OF THE GIBLEM LODGE NO. 2 AS IF THE BRICK, WOOD AND STUCCO BUILDING IS ALIVE.

The lodge, a Black Masonic temple built around 1871 on North Eighth Street, was a Wilmington cultural hub for decades, at one time holding the only library Black residents were allowed to use. The lodge’s current members are working to restore the three-story building to its former glory.

“It’s like breathing,” said Jackson, a Giblem Lodge member who was born in Wilmington. “It has been the oxygen to a lot of African American growth from the 1800s to today. And so if it isn’t restored, it’d be like cutting off the oxygen to a lot of the past, the present and plans for the future.”

Pieces of Wilmington’s history have disappeared over the centuries, replaced by parking lots and modern structures. But others are hanging on with the help of people who want to preserve the past, including Giblem Lodge, historic homes and other threads in the fabric of Wilmington’s many historic districts.

Giblem Lodge Masons still hold their twice-monthly meetings at the lodge at 19 N. EighthSt., where Earl Armstrong, another member, works each day to take care of the landmark.. The Italianate-style building is located in the Wilmington Historic District, which includes large portions of downtown’s core and is designated by the National Register of Historic Places. It’s the city’s oldest district, created in 1974 and expanded in 2004, and it “is witnessing an alarming number of contributing structures being destroyed,” explains Historic Wilmington Foundation’s website. “A study of the district’s northside highlights this trend, with an estimated reduction of over one-third of all contributing structures since 2004. Of the contributing structures that remain in these study areas, six have preservation easements by the HWF, including the Brooklyn Arts Center and Edward Teach Brewery.”

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization,

LEFT: Remenants of the past, such as vintage typewriters and top hats, are abundant in the upper floors of Giblem Lodge.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Giblem Lodge Masons include Jimmy Lightfoot (from left), Earl Armstrong and Terry Jackson, who all recently expressed how important restoring the lodge is for the area.