Plaque Colors
Historic Wilmington Foundation’s plaque program offers six designations to indicate age of a building, each with its own unique color.
Terra Cotta (red)
This color designates buildings that at at least 75-years-old. The very first plaque to be awarded this designation was the Chadbourn House, at 117 Nun St, way back in 19xx!
Photo (right) by HWF.
Charleston Green (black)
This color designates buildings that are at least 100-years-old. This designation was what launched HWF’s plaque program, and the first building to be awarded a black plaque was at 319 S Front St, in January 1967. Over the years, the building has been known as Executive House, Empie House, and now Purnell-Empie House.
Photo (right) by HWF.
Golden yellow
This color designates buildings that are at least 150-years-old. This designation was announced in late 2019. Buildings currently displaying this color include Bellamy Mansion, Verandas Bed & Breakfast, and a handful of private residences, although dozens of buildings in Wilmington are eligible.
Photo (right) by HWF.
xx Blue
This color designates buildings that are at least 200-years-old. This designation was also announced in late 2019. Only a select few buildings in Wilmington are eligible for this honor, but they include Burgwin-Wright House and The Gaol.
Photo (right) by HWF.
Sea-Oats (Cream)
This color designates buildings at the beach that are at least 50-years-old. Beach cottages and related structures have weathered storms, corrosive salt, soil erosion, and of course, development, and we celebrate and honor those structures that are still standing proudly.
Photo (right) by HWF.
Green
This color designates streets and alleys that are historically significant. I need to know more about this…
Photo (right) by HWF.