July 16, 2023 The Murchison Building in downtown Wilmington
Around Our Town with Gene Merritt
Blog # 15
July 16, 2023
Historic postcard photos provided by Elaine HensonThe Murchison Building, 201 North Front Street, Wilmington, NC
The Murchison Building is one of my favorite structures in downtown Wilmington. It is certainly an historically and architecturally significant structure, greatly contributing to the thread of other historic structures downtown.
The building is an eleven-story brick and marble building. It is located at the corner of Front and Chestnut Streets. It is a general tenancy rental facility.
The floor area is 62,230 square feet with eleven floors.
The building was built in 1914 and is 138’ high.
The architect was Kenneth Mackenzie Murchison.
The only negative thing I can say about the building today is the placement of communication towers on the roof. In my view, these obstructions
demean the architectural integrity of this great building. I also don’t like the Pour House projection sign. Sorry, I’m an historic preservationist.
Communication towers on the roof of the Murchison Building
Postcard images provided by Elaine HensonThis shot was taken from 2nd & Chestnut Streets looking northwest. The old post office is located on the left.
This is a view of the same location today
This shot is from behind the original brownstone Post Office that they tore down to have a WPA project for workers during the Depression
Classic building view with the American flag
This is a great view from the top of the Murchison Building looking southeast. Look at all the houses left of City Hall.