The Marion Stedman Covington Foundation recently awarded the Burgwin-Wright House a $20,000 grant toward replacing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The grant will specifically fund advanced diagnostic inspection, load calculations, system specifications and duct design.

Multiple pieces of the existing system are more than 30 years old. The new system will be more energy efficient and will provide greater control over temperature and humidity, critical factors in preserving the museum’s collection of 18^th and 19^th century furnishings and decorative arts.

The Marion Stedman Covington foundation honors its namesake, a leader in North Carolina’s historic preservation movement for over fifteen years. In recognition of her contributions to the field, in 1991 Preservation North Carolina named her Honorary Life President.

Established in 1986, the foundation originally provided funding in arts and culture, education, health and human services, and historic preservation. As of 2007, the board of trustees decided to narrow funding to historic preservation in honor of Covington’s value of history and regional heritage.

The National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina purchased the Burgwin-Wright House in 1937 and restored it over a period of several decades. Built in 1770, the house uses the walls of the 1744 city jail for its foundation. One of only four buildings remaining from Wilmington’s colonial era, the Burgwin-Wright House can claim to have the city’s oldest surviving structure due to the vestiges of the jail.

The Burgwin-Wright House offers guided tours interpreting colonial history on the hour Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The museum also hosts a variety of events throughout the year such as lectures, book signings, a Christmas Stroll Through the Past, exhibits and art shows. Visit www.burgwinwrighthouse.com to learn more about events and special tours.

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