Wilmington National Cemetery : History, Notable interments Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wilmington National Cemetery

Historic veterans cemetery in New Hanover County, North Carolina

United States historic place


Wilmington National Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


34°14′18″N 77°55′22″W / 34.23833°N 77.92278°W / 34.23833; -77.92278
Built	1867
Architectural style	Colonial Revival
MPS	Civil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.	97000021^[1]
Added to NRHP	January 31, 1997

Wilmington National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Wilmington, in New Hanover County, North Carolina. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses 5.1 acres (2.1 ha), and as of the end of 2005, had over 6,000 interred remains.

History

In 1867, the land for Wilmington National Cemetery was purchased by the federal government. Most of the original interments were remains moved from Wilmington City Cemetery and nearby forts, such as Fort Fisher. By 1870 there were over 2,000 interments.^[2]

In 1918, there was an outbreak of influenza on board a ship docked at the Cape Fear River which was carrying a group of Puerto Rican laborers to Fayetteville, North Carolina to aid in the construction of Camp Bragg. Twenty-eight of the laborers died from the disease and were interred at Wilmington National Cemetery.^[2]

Wilmington National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.^[1]

Notable interments

George "Possum" Whitted (1890–1962), major league baseball player, World War I veteran.

There is one British Commonwealth war grave, of a Royal Artillery Gunner of World War II.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Therese T. Sammartino (December 1996). "Wilmington National Cemetery" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places – Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
^ [1] CWGC Casualty Record.

External links

National Cemetery Administration
Wilmington National Cemetery
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Wilmington National Cemetery
Wilmington National Cemetery at Find a Grave
CWGC: Wilmington National Cemetery

U.S. National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina

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