Historic Wilmington Foundation announces restoration of Giblem Lodge

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF) announced its intention to preserve Giblem Lodge at 720 Princess Street, Wilmington at a press conference Wednesday morning.

The historic lodge, which has ties to Wilmington’s African American history, will undergo some major repairs.

HWF hopes to begin the renovations to Giblem Lodge by the end of the year. The cost of the renovations is likely to exceed $300,000.

Constructed between 1871 and 1873, Giblem Lodge is one of the oldest African American Masonic Lodges in North Carolina, and was Wilmington’s first.

During the 1920s, an era when African Americans could not access the city library, supporters raised funds and Giblem Lodge became Wilmington’s first African American library.

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