Do enjoy time in the garden? You enjoy the peace and serenity. You enjoy the flowers in bloom. You enjoy the trees over your head. This is what you will feel as you stroll through Airlie Gardens in the city of Wilmington in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Built around a mansion that sadly is not open to the public, Airlie Gardens is a refreshing place to enjoy. The ponds, the groves, and even the views of Bradley Creek, Airlie Gardens is truly an oasis in a very busy beach city.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! I love gardens. They are so beautiful. However, there is a very big problem. You see. These are gardens, and these gardens have no railroads. Therefore, I will not be taking a stroll through here.”
You do have a point. There is no railroad here, and no railroad has ever run through these gardens. So, what does the railroad have to do with Airlie Gardens?
The history of Airlie Gardens begin long before the United States of America was established, but in 1835, a man named Thomas Henry Wright built Mount Lebanon Chapel on the property, and the church remains on the property today. Who is Thomas Henry Wright? He was a physician, a bank president, a merchant, an Episcopal minister, and he was also a railroad director of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
However, this is just a tiny piece of a bigger story.
Then comes Henry Walters. Who is Henry Walters? He is famous for being an art collector and a philanthropist. He was the son of William Thompson Walters. Who is William Thompson Walters? He was the president of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad of which the headquarters was moved to Wilmington, North Carolina in 1884. When William died in 1894, Henry took over the railroad. While here, Henry started other railroads. Among them was the Atlantic Beach Car. What is the Atlantic Beach Car? It began in 1902 at the Wilmington Seacoast Railroad using steam locomotives to pull passenger cars from Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach, but it was later converted to an electric railroad using trolleys, and the ‘Beach Car’ was born. Among the stops along the line was a stop at Airlie.
Henry was a frequent guest of Pembroke and Sarah Jones, the owners of the Airlie Mansion of which Airlie Gardens was built around. Pembroke was also a director on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Among the guests were Stuyvesant Fish, owner of the Illinois Central Railroad, members of the Vanderbilt family, tycoon Henry Flagler, and socialite Henry Lehr. Henry had a sister named Jennie who Married Warren Delano III, the uncle of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When Pembroke died, Henry married Sarah, and they lived at a home in Manhattan in New York City, New York. His other accomplishments include the establishment of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland where he made few visits. Henry remained the president of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad until his death in 1931. Sarah transforms the gardens and eventually opens the gardens to the public.
The Airlie Gardens is a great treasure to see. Regardless of what time of the year, Airlie Gardens is a great place to take a stroll.
Airlie Gardens is located at 300 Airlie Road in Wilmington, North Carolina just off of U.S. Route 17. It is open year round from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The great part is that is it mostly wheelchair accessible. You can get more information on admission and read more into the history of the gardens at https://airliegardens.org/.
No, you will not see the railroad here, but you can take a stroll through a place that has a connection to the railroad. Visit Airlie Gardens. Pembroke and Sarah Jones and Henry Walters will be glad that you did.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 