Wilmington

  Wilmington, North Carolina
Sunday, November 4, 2007

Another visit to a Plantation house and gardens, this time Orton House which is still a private residence so we toured the gardens.  For most of the time we were the only ones there and it was a serene experience.





In the afternoon we visited the Bellamy Mansion, a couple of blocks from our B&B.  The Bellamy mansion was built just before the war by John Bellamy who was an ardent supporter of the South.  They moved away to a safer area.  After the end of the War John Bellamy had to go to Washington DC and beg pardon from President Andrew Johnson before he could reclaim his home.  When his last child died the house was empty for a few years before the heirs sold it to a Foundation that restored it and opened it for tours.  It's a big home, with 5 stories, starting with an English basement (half underground) 3 more stories and a belvedere (tower lookout and ventilation) at the top of the building.  The guide told us that there were 77 stairs and we climbed them all at least twice.