In Wilmington's history, not many organizations have existed in as many different locations as The Salvation Army.
The church and charitable organization has been headquartered in a half-dozen or more places downtown, not even counting other parts of Wilmington.
Founded in London in 1865, the Salvation Army was in North Carolina by 1879 and in Wilmington by 1887.
A stone monument at Fourth and Princess streets in downtown Wilmington, erected in 1987 on the 100th anniversary of the Army's arrival here, reads, "On this site Sunday, Jan. 30, 1887, The Salvation Army officers Adjutant William Beall and Captain and Mrs. Colburn commenced the work of The Salvation Army in Wilmington for the glory of God and the betterment of mankind."
According to Tony
P. Wrenn's 1984 book "Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical Portrait," in 1919 The Salvation Army purchased a lot at 215 S. Front St. and started construction of a building there in 1923.
According to the Historic Wilmington Foundation plaque on the building, the organization had operated "in various locations" over the years. The cornerstone on South Front was laid April 12, 1924.
According to a StarNews story cited by Wrenn, the cost was $30,000 and the basement was "equipped with laundry and showers, and the second floor with living quarters for Capt. and Mrs. E.W. Price, both with the Salvation Army."
According to The History Hub, a digital archive operated by the library at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, the building was designed by Wilmington architect James Lynch in the Mediterranean Revival or Spanish Colonial style, exemplified by its intricate windows, ornate door archways and symmetrical facade.
The building initially served "needy women and children," according to The Hub. During the Great Depression, the building "housed impoverished children, acting as a sort of orphanage until they entered adulthood."
It's believed that the site served as a children's home for decades even after the Depression.
In 1963 The Salvation Army the building on South Front. It would be unoccupied for nearly 20 years until being sold in 1981.
Since 1998, the building has been a boutique bed and breakfast called The Front Street Inn.
For years, the Salvation Army's Wilmington headquarters were off North Third Street.
The group currently has several Wilmington locations, including thrift shops on Floral Parkway and Oleander Drive, and offices in the Harrelson Center on North Fourth Street.
In 2025 the group opened a new shelter on William Booth Drive, and they also have a church in a tidy brick building at South Third and Ann streets, originallybuilt in 1947 for First Christian Church.
John Staton is the arts and culture reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at jstaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Salvation Army's history in Wilmington dates back nearly 140 years
