About
From its earliest days to your most memorable moments, we invite you to help shape the legacy of what we're becoming today.
It takes a long time to develop character like this, and remarkable transformations rarely happen quickly. At some point in the renovation process, we came to realize that time had always been on our side. There's so much history and authentic beauty here to be explored!
New
Beginnings
What better way to maximize the enjoyment of such a uniquely preserved space?
We imagined beautiful gatherings hosted in this building from day one. Most would agree, that isn’t at all hard to picture.
With a love for genuine connections, all things design, and more than twenty years of hands-on marketing experience, I have planned great events and tackled big projects, but this one takes the cake!
It started with dreaming about party themes, enriching activities, and all the different ways to potentially utilize such a glorious place. Long story short, 21 Market stole my heart, as she does, and over time that vision evolved into something very special and real. My passions and career path really came together here. Simply put, this is what I feel called to do.
What guests experience when they visit our venue today is truly a labor of love. The renovation journey was a major undertaking requiring the expertise and determination of many wonderful, hardworking people. It was an honor to help steer the end results and especially satisfying to see this project through to the finish line.
We can’t wait to fill these halls with happy people and all the new memories that will surely come to life here in the next chapter!
Painting
the Town
The Wiggins Building was built in 1910 for Miss Rowe Wiggins and originally occupied by Atlantic Paint & Varnish Works. In 1913, the company relocated to expand manufacturing operations, and the Davis-Moore Paint Company moved in to exclusively retail its line of paints, varnishes, and other home-related items.
Over the decades, a variety of tenants called 21 Market home, including a photography studio, real estate offices, and even a tattoo parlor. In 2021, new owners purchased the property and began a series of renovations, including replacing the windows, refreshing the front façade, and bringing the building up to current code standards.
In 2024, they received a Preservation Award presented by the Historic Wilmington Foundation, and 21 Market was officially added to the National Registry of Historic Places!
