The Verandas

An 1853 Italianate mansion at the corner of Seventh and Nun in downtown Wilmington's historic district — eight rooms, four wraparound verandas (the property's name is the architecture). The Verandas is the small-and-careful version of a Wilmington B&B, run with the kind of attention to room-level detail that the genre often skips.

The bones are 1853 brick and stucco, three stories of Italianate detailing — bracketed cornices, tall windows, the porches the property is named for. The interior is Neo-Victoriana, traditional but not heavy, kept up steadily.

The setting

Wilmington's historic district occupies the bluff above the Cape Fear River — a several-block grid of antebellum houses, churches, and live-oak streets that survived the Civil War largely intact. Seventh and Nun is two blocks east of the riverfront and four blocks south of the courthouse, in a quiet residential pocket.

Front Street's restaurants and bars are a five-minute walk west. The Battleship North Carolina, across the river, is a five-minute drive. Wrightsville Beach is twenty minutes east. Carolina Beach is twenty-five minutes south.

The building

The 1853 mansion was built as a private residence and converted to an inn in the 1990s. The four wraparound verandas — one per floor on two sides — are the architectural signature. Materials are stucco-over-brick outside, plaster and dark wood inside, with the original heart-pine flooring throughout the public spaces.

Public rooms include a parlor with a fireplace, a library, and breakfast in the dining room or on the verandas. The aesthetic is high Victorian without spilling into kitsch — fresh paint, restored mantels, antiques used as accents rather than installed wholesale.

The rooms

Eight rooms across the three floors. Each has a different configuration — some have direct veranda access, others have private balconies, several have working fireplaces. Bathrooms have been updated. Beds are king or queen depending on room. The third-floor rooms get the best afternoon light through the tall Italianate windows.

Rates start around $325; festival weekends and special events climb.

Food & drink

A full Southern breakfast is included — served in the dining room or on the veranda when weather allows. Wine and snacks in the parlor in the evening. No on-site restaurant. Front Street is a five-minute walk west: PinPoint, Manna, Rx, Indochine, and a long list of casual options.

On the property

The verandas are the program. There's a small garden, a parlor with the fireplace, and the breakfast room. No pool, no spa, no gym.

• Full Southern breakfast included
• Evening wine in the parlor
• Four wraparound verandas across three floors
• Walking distance to the Cape Fear riverfront
• Open year-round

Who it's for

• Couples on a Wilmington long weekend
• Travelers who like real Victorian architecture without the doll-house overlay
• Anyone using Wilmington as a base for the southern coast (Wrightsville, Bald Head, Southport)
• History-leaning travelers who appreciate the pre-war district

Who it's not for

• Families with young kids — eight-room inn, adult-leaning rhythm
• Travelers wanting a full-service hotel
• Anyone needing a beachfront stay — Wrightsville is twenty minutes east

Nearby

The Cape Fear riverfront and Wilmington's restaurant row on Front Street are five minutes' walk. The Battleship North Carolina across the river is a short drive. Airlie Gardens is fifteen minutes east on the way to Wrightsville Beach. Wrightsville Beach itself is twenty minutes east. Carolina Beach and the Fort Fisher Aquarium are twenty-five minutes south. Bellamy Mansion and the Burgwin-Wright House are walkable for the antebellum house tours.