BELLAMY MANSION MUSEUM
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Hiring Out in North Carolina

7/1/2025

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William Benjamin Gould, an enslaved plasterer who worked at the Bellamy site around 1860-61, was 'hired out' by his enslaver, Nicholas Nixon, for the construction project. A piece of plasterwork by Gould, inscribed with his initials and which features on the museum tour, was hidden until a 1990s renovation. It revealed both his skilled work and his singular story.
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Hiring out was a common practice that could result in free and enslaved Black workers, including those hired out, appearing together on many types of work in antebellum Wilmington. In fact, enslaved artisans were central to the construction of much of the architecture of the antebellum South across the building trades. A large proportion of these men were hired out as part of an economic system that operated in most slaveholding states. Using North Carolina as an example, the following article explores their work, their experiences, and their often overlooked importance in building American towns. 

The article Hiring Out: Enslaved Black Building Artisans in North Carolina is shared by kind permission from its author, architectural historian Catherine Bishir, and publisher, the University of Minnesota Press. The press publishes Building & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum. 

The article is available for free until the end of August 2025 and can be read through this link: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/911886. After that, should you be interested in reading more from Buildings & Landscapes, or if you want to learn about the Vernacular Architecture Forum, click here for more information: https://www.upress.umn.edu/journals/buildings-and-landscapes/
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​Bellamy Mansion Museum
of History & Design Arts

503 Market Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
910.251.3700

​​
​Leashed service dogs only.
Free parking lot on Market St. side.
​
Ticket Sales
10:00 am - 4:00 pm daily
  • Self-guided tour must begin by 4 pm. Must be completed by 5 pm
  • Smartphone needed for audio tour. Earbuds or headphones make for the best experience.
  • Premium guided tours at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm when available. Call to check.
​Office Hours
Monday-Friday 9:30 am- 5 pm
Admission Prices (tax not reflected)
Self-guided
  • Adults (ages 17-64): $15 
  • Seniors (65+): $14
  • Active/Retired Military ID: $14 
  • Students (ages 6-16): $7.50 
  • Children (ages 0-5): FREE
​Guided
  • Adult Premium Tour: $20**
  • Student Premium Tour: $10**
**when available
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Stewardship property of Preservation North Carolina
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  • HOME
  • VISIT
    • Plan Your Visit >
      • Tour FAQs
      • Tour Extras for Children
    • Group Tours
    • Calendar of Events >
      • Family Fun Day >
        • Family Fun Day Map
      • Lectures
      • Exhibits
      • Walking Tours
      • Summer Jazz Series
      • 30th Anniv. Party
      • Nights of Lights
    • Area Resources
  • DISCOVER
    • The Place
    • The People
    • The Museum
    • The Museum Store
  • SUPPORT
    • Donate
    • Volunteer >
      • Monthly Schedule
    • Sponsor an event
    • Employment/Internships
    • Museum Sponsors
  • CONNECT
    • Contact Us
    • Distance Learning >
      • 1898 Resources
    • Museum Blog
    • Audio Tour (Full)
  • RENT
    • Private Events
    • Commercial Filming
    • Photo Shoots
    • Preferred Vendors