Houses of Wilmington #10

Captain Cook's House (1830)

This house on 321 Fourth Street was originally built by Captiain William Cook, who was commissioned by George Washington on a revenue cutter, Diligence. He disappeared.

It was later purchased by a Captian Martin, who had a wife and two children. His wife would never permit the children to go on a voyage on his clipper ship, saying it was way too dangerous. Eventually when they were grown (1857), she relented and they went on a trip. The daughter became sick and died. In order to preserve her body until they returned home, she was tied to a chair and put into a whisky cask. During the voyage there was a terrible storm, and the son drowned. The Captain returned home to tell his wife of the tragic news. The daughter Nancee is buried in the local Oakdale Cemetery still in the chair in the cask.

That's not the end of it. The house was later owned by a Mr. Anderson, a noted Wilmington jeweler, whose wife left him and h hanged himself from a tree in the yard. A ghost is said to still be in the house. Not sure who. Clifton Daniels, who was a writer on the local newspaper, and is the grandson of President Harry Truman, also owned the house.

The house faces away from the street because it marked the end of the town.

It was a glorious day and a perfect day for a color rendition, but my intention is to do the entire series in black and white. It should be seen here in COLOR.