Houses of Wilmington #12

Purnell-Empie House

This house is located at 319 South Front Street, directly across from the Honnet House, posted one week ago Monday. It was originally constructed in 1835 as a small one-story house. Additions and significant changes were made in 1851, 1857, and 1942. The first change was when the lawyer Adam Empie added a larger house on the south side. They were separate and connected by a breezeway until World War II, when they were joined and made into government-worker housing. A rental ad from 1909 said that it was in a "first class neighborhood and on the street car line."

This is the first residential preservation in Wilmington, having been restored in 1966 by Hannah Block under Governor Dan Moore's Beautification Program. Hannah Block was an important part of Wilmington history. Not only was she the first female lifeguard at Carolina Beach, a trainer of the 'Azalea Bells', she was an actress and made films with among others, Ronald Reagan.

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Houses of Wilmington