H. MEmorial Hall
14 West Main Street 1902 Colonial Revival style
Civil War hero Major Frederick Childs financed construction of Memorial Hall to house the town’s first theater. Designated by the renowned New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, it served as a memorial to the Childs family and other prominent citizens. With an interior distinguished by exquisite moldings and a classic proscenium arch over the stage, it was considered the finest building in town. Portraits of war veterans and other notable residents grace its walls. Today, the hall continues in use as an entertainment venue, hosting events such as an annual Memorial Day service and school functions.
Memorial Hall and Crafts Inn to its east stand on the site of Wilmington’s first hotel. Until the Vermont House opened across the street in 1850, the stagecoach stopped here to switch horses and allow travelers to stretch and eat. A fire in 1885 destroyed the old hotel and several other buildings, earning this area the name “the Burnt District.”