Market Street Mansion District
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Why it's listed
Four large houses on the 1700 block of Market Street in Wilmington form a district of early twentieth century mansions on a tree-shaded avenue lined with live oaks, brick walls and iron fences. The Bridgers-Emerson-Kenan House is a brick Georgian Revival mansion, while the Holt-Wise and Bridgers-Brooks houses are frame Neo-Classical Revival buildings with colossal porticoes. The fourth, the Bluethenhal House, is a brick Georgian Revival home begun in 1917. The houses sit in Carolina Heights and Carolina Place, suburbs developed from about 1908 with water, sewer, gas, electric lines and sidewalks. Mary Bridgers, daughter of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad president, helped drive the development and began three of the houses. Later owners included railroad executives and the Kenan sisters, heirs of a Flagler fortune, who gave generously to education. The district is valued for its grand architecture, its landscaping and its record of early suburban planning.
Significance in brief: The houses are described as consistent examples of Neo-Classical and Georgian Revival design that reflect the wealth of the pre-World War I era. They were homes of railroad and industrial figures and heiress philanthropists. The district is also important as part of Carolina Heights and Carolina Place, early and ambitious planned suburbs.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 75001284, listed April 21, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1704, 1705, 1710, 1713 Market St., Wilmington |
|---|---|
| County | New Hanover County |
| Listed | April 21, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001284 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Burett H. Stephens (architect/builder of the Holt-Wise House and others in Carolina Heights); Leonard Schultz of New York (remodeling of Bridgers-Emerson-Kenan House after 1931 fire); Tom Hastings of Carrier & Hastings (interior changes) |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical Revival and Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked good and altered; the form checks both occupied and unoccupied status, with preservation work in progress. Present use is private residence; two houses were given to Wilmington College. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Within district | Westbrook-Ardmore Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.23683, -77.92694 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 75001284.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19986949
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.