More than 100 years ago, Chandler's Wharf was crowded with mercantile warehouses, its sheds filled with naval stores, tools, cotton and turpentine and its wharves lined with merchantmen. A disastrous (and suspicious) fire in August 1874 changed the site forever. In the late 1970s, Chandler's Wharf became an Old Wilmington riverfront reconstruction site, a positive turning point for downtown revitalization. Today much of the flavor of the 1870s remains, and Chandler's Wharf is again a business district, or, more accurately, a shopping and dining district. Two historic homes transformed into shops stand on the cobblestone street, beside wooden sidewalks and the rails of the former waterfront railway. The original ship chandler warehouse has been converted into popular boutiques, galleries and a bakery; a pictorial history of Wilmington is displayed here. Elijah's and The Pilot House restaurants overlook the Cape Fear River, and the Riverwalk provides a delightful waterside stroll that connects Chandler's Wharf with downtown. (See our Restaurants and Shopping sections for more about Chandler's Wharf.)
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