Architecture and Landmarks - Wilbur and Orville Wright Monument

In this article are few of the most visited architectural landmarks in North Carolina.

The Wright Brothers have definitely immortalized themselves in history and science for having been operating the very first airplane. Although Wilbur and Orville were residents of Ohio, they decided to undergo their experiments in a more private area in Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina from 1900 to 1903 where steady winds have been reported by the National Weather Bureau. The area has eventually become the location for the Wright Brothers National Memorial, established in March 2, 1927, where a number of features have been in store for visitors and tourists. Visitors can walk along the field and hangar, wherein the Wrights had made four flights in their three years of experimentation. Included in the hangar are monuments that indicate their starts and finishes. The landmark also includes a Visitor Center where visitors can view actual tools and machines, a life-size replica of the Wright Brothers' 1902 glider, as well as portrait and photographs of other flight pioneers. The main feature of the memorial is a 60-foot granite tower which was dedicated in 1932 as a commemoration to the Wright's contribution. This tower is designed by the Rodgers and Poor architectural firm. The tower is composed of 1,200 tons of granite, more than 2,000 tons of gravel more than 800 tons of sands and almost 400 tons of cement.

Another important landmark in North Carolina is the Cape Lookout National Seashore in South Core Banks in Carteret County. The seashore is running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast and has a length of 56 miles. It is composed of two historic villages: the Shackleford's wild horses and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, a conical tower lighthouse made of brick that is standing tall at 169 feet and was first lit in 1859. In 1950, its lighting system was automated. The lighthouse bears its significance for bearing a checkered day mark for it is the only lighthouse in the United States to have such design. Its design is not only for distinction but also to show direction, with the black diamonds pointing north-south direction and white diamonds, east-west. One can only visit the lighthouse via a private ferry.

Located in New Garden Road in Greensboro is the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park which serves as a commemoration to the Battle of Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781 where 1,900 British troops under General Lord Cornwallis fought a massive American force that led to their demise. The area was preserved and transformed into a national military park under the brainchild of David Schenck, although his idea of beautifying the land has been quashed due to the risk of historical downsizing, leading to a more faithful image of the battlefield. One of the main features of the park is the Nathanael Green statue which features the general in an equestrian pose. The statue is designed by Francis H. Packard. The park is now a popular place for walking, cycling and picnicking.

Other important landmarks in the area are: Meadowmont in Chapel Hill, Duke Homestead and Tobacco Factory in Durham, Bethabara Moravian Church and Wachovia Building both in Winston-Salem, Joseph B. Littlejohn House in Oxford, Granville and Eagle Nest in Pink Hill.