Contact the Center
Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History
UNCW Library, Discovery Hall, 2nd floor
5162 Randall Dr.
Wilmington, NC 28403
csencah@uncw.edu
910-962-7810
Visit the Center
Location
The Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History is located on the 2nd floor of Discovery Hall in the UNCW Library.
Hours
From May 19th through August 15th, 2025, the Center will be open by appointment only due to reduced staffing. 48 hours' advance notice is required for appointment requests. Visit our website to request an appointment.
Access Policies
Prior to visiting the Center, users should familiarize themselves with our access and use policies.
County Records at the State Archives of NC
The State Archives of North Carolina is the designated repository for all municipal, county, and state records of North Carolina, including state agency records. Depending on the storage facilities available at individual county offices, certain county records may be retained by the county itself or transferred to the State Archives building in Raleigh for permanent retention. To see which records are available for each county, visit the State Archives' County Records Guide.
Other Collections Related to SENC History
If the information you're seeking isn't available from the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History, there are several other archival repositories throughout the state that collect materials related to this region. The links below will take you to these institutions' websites, where you can find more information on their collections.
- Cape Fear MuseumThe Cape Fear Museum’s collection of more than 57,000 objects sheds light on the history, science, and cultures of the Lower Cape Fear. The bulk of the collection spans the 17th through 21st centuries, with a heavy concentration in the 20th century. It includes historical photographs and documents as well as three dimensional artifacts such as furniture, tools, clothing, and toys.
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript LibraryDuke University's archives and special collections are housed at the Rubenstein Library. The collection includes several manuscripts and historical publications related to the southeast North Carolina region.
- John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial WilliamsburgThe research center of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library advances knowledge of colonial British America, the American Revolution, the early United States, American decorative arts and folk art, and the Restoration and continuing story of Colonial Williamsburg.
- Lower Cape Fear Historical SocietyThe Lower Cape Fear Historical Society has been collecting materials relating to the history of the Lower Cape Fear and its inhabitants since the 1950s. Today the Archive contains a research library of approximately 3,000 volumes, several thousand photographs, and several hundred cubic feet of archival material.
- Moravian ArchivesThe Moravian Archives is the official repository of and serves as the institutional memory for the Moravian Church in America, Southern Province. It serves the Church, its members, and the public by fostering curiosity and discovery through access, preservation, and education. The Archives’ mission is to ethically steward records and historical materials of Moravians and provide equitable public access to its holdings.
- The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA)The collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts at Old Salem is the most the comprehensive collection of objects made and used in the early American South.
- National Archives, London, UK: American and West Indian colonies before 1782This link refers to a subject guide to records of the British administration in colonial North America (present day United States) and the West Indies available at the National Archives of the UK in London.
- New Hanover County Public LibraryThe scope of the Local History collections encompasses as many aspects of the Lower Cape Fear Region’s history and culture as space and interest dictate, including, but not limited to, the history of the people, places, culture, and natural environment of the Lower Cape Fear Region.
- Outer Banks History CenterThe Outer Banks History Center is a regional archival research facility in Manteo, N.C. on historic Roanoke Island administered by the Special Collections Section of the State Archives of North Carolina. Its holdings include documentation of North Carolina in the colonial era, particularly related to Sir Walter Raleigh's lost colony, the Roanoke Island Historical Association, America's 400th Anniversary Committee, and the Carolina Charter Tercentenary Committee.
- State Archives of North CarolinaThe State Archives provides guidance on preservation and management of government records and collects, preserves and provides public access to historically significant archival materials relating to North Carolina.
- Tryon Palace, Gertrude Carraway LibraryThe library consists of over 5,000 secondary sources. Subjects include regional and national history, fine and decorative arts, material culture, horticulture, and architecture. These materials are non-circulating and are available by appointment.
- Wilson Library, UNC Chapel HillThe Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library at UNC Chapel Hill includes extensive documentation of the Cape Fear region. Researchers will find the resources within the Southern Historical Collection, Southern Folklife Collection, and North Carolina Collection particularly useful.