Are We Saying Goodbye to the Wilmont?
(image credit John Morris)
On Friday, residents of the Hillsborough Street landmark The Wilmont learned they have 30 days to move out or face eviction proceedings. A tenant filed a complaint with the city about a hole in the ceiling, and series of inspections and investigations followed. City Council then passed on ordinance declaring it unfit for human habitation.
View from one of the balconies (image credit Devin McKim)
The move by the city puts residents (many of whom have lived here for many years) in a very precarious situation. The owner of the building has 30 days to bring it up to code. He states he has every intent of addressing code violations within that time frame.
Despite ongoing maintenance problems and cosmetic issues, most residents are very fond of The Wilmont.
It is truly a fascinating place and the communal vibe is something you rarely see with other apartments. Everyone helps each other, from move ins + outs, to fixing computers + musical instruments, borrowing ingredients or DJing for each other’s parties. It is a very lively place.
–Miles Holst
To read other fond memories of living here, check out the comments in the article from last year, and Devin’s post last month.
(image credit John Morris)
The move comes three days after the City Council passed an ordinance declaring the four-story brick building unfit for human habitation. In recent months the Wilmont’s owner, David House of Raleigh, has been working to address a long list of inspection violations identified by the city.
Roger Bonney, who supervises housing inspectors for the city, said the Inspections Department went to the City Council after House failed to make adequate progress on fixing the building’s structural problems.
The article in the N&O states repairs were being made as of Friday to bring it up to code.
We’ll keep this post updated with new developments.
UPDATE
Brandon, a resident of the Wilmont, has created a site about the current issue facing residents. Please visit to see the NBC17 story, share stories, and to sign the petition.
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04/26/2009
I commend you for taking the high road on this. Obviously the gentrification pressures that have finally descended on Raleigh are hitting yet another aspect of local culture that give life spice.
Seems like Raleigh could learn from every other major city in the country that has already been ruined by the suburbanization of urban areas.
Take away the symbols that hold personal stories of a location, which incidetnly is the Raison d’être for Goodnight Raleigh!, and you add to the virus of the international style, globalization, and suburbanism.
I moved to Kansas City almost decade ago to escape suburbanization of another large urban area that swept teh country in the late 90s. I moved here a couple years, after the Normals moved in and destroyed that city, because Raleigh is still the hardcore town I remember visiting when I was a kid.
I love this building and it reminds me of the kind of place Henry Miller would write about. I wish the owner the best of luck in getting everything up to code, they are fighting everything that is wrong with postmodern society. I really, really don’t want to have to pick up and move to Goodnight Detroit!
04/27/2009
I’ve created a web page to help save the wilmont. http://savewilmont.com. Please show your support by signing our petition.
04/27/2009
So, are ya’ll saying the CIty should stand aside and let the landlord keep charging his tenants for a building that is unsafe to live in? If this place burned down, I am sure the City’s “failure to enforce” would be the first cry from tenants or their loved ones.
04/27/2009
i think that they are saying that the landlord should be forced to fix the issues that are present so that people will not be forced to move out
04/27/2009
a simple solution might be to fix up the uninhabited apartments, and let the people currently in wilmont live within those while their apartments are fixed, and then move back into their apartments.
04/27/2009
I mentioned at one of the other Wilmont posts how sad I was to see the state of the Wilmont. I do hope the owner will see fit to make the repairs necessary.
I’m also glad I took my own photo of the old gal some months ago (facing, standing the Sub Conscious parking lot) in case I need it to remember her by.
04/29/2009
It won’t be torn down. Everyone keeps talking like it will be razed in a matter of weeks. The truth of it is that House paid nearly 1.5 mil for it, and the property certainly isn’t worth quite that. I imagine it will re-open with increased rent, no doubt. It may return to its former glory with mahogany french doors in the apartments, and shiny floors. Anyone going to greensboro should check out the dolly madison on elm street, just off of wendover ave. it is the same building in white brick, with fine plantings and tidy maintenance. The Wilmont has alot of class that comes with it’s run-down appearance, like an old bicycle that still runs. With the appropriate repairs, it can retain the allure, with the added safety of a renovations, and we can all feel more like raleigh veterans with a memory of what “was” the wilmont. Doing a stint there is a Raleigh right of passage! you either must live at the wilmont, or work a cup-a-joe for a minute.
04/29/2009
Has anyone thought about a save-the-wilmont event, like habitat for humanity? If David House bankrolls it, I’d put in some saturdays to help get it back up to code.
05/06/2009
They’ll turn it in to expensive condos for the yuppies invading the city. That said, MAY 23 IS THE LAST PARTY EVER AT THE WILMONT. BE THERE
05/21/2009
Had David House as a landlord at one time. Am not surprised about the state of the Wilmont. He does absolutely no work to any of his apartments except collect the rent. The city has put pressure on him before to fix up at least one of his buildings and he did not complete the repairs and the city did nothing. Surprised the city is doing anything this time. Evicted everyone in our building saying he was going to fix up. Been over a year and I have seen no work done.
06/01/2009
It seems that the Wilmont tenants are to be evicted anyway? I am saddened over this.
Maybe one day the fine old lady will have an owner who will truly love her the way most of us have who have only been able to have rented a home there.
06/01/2009
keys — The N&O reported in its Thursday, May 28 edition that the city has granted the Wilmont residents a reprieve.
“RALEIGH MAY NOT EVICT TENANTS — City housing inspectors say the owner of the Wilmont apartment building on Hillsborough Street has corrected nearly all of the violations that led Raleigh officials to declare the building unfit for human habitation late last month. The Wilmont’s owner, David House of Raleigh, has until Saturday to complete the repairs before the city can begin evicting tenants. Roger Bonney, who supervises housing inspectors for the city, said it now looks as if House will make that deadline and that no tenants will be forced to leave.”
You can read the entire article at http://www.newsobserver.com/ Search the date + Wilmont
07/01/2009
Thanks, raleigh boy.
I’ve not been to that part of Hillsborough St. in several weeks. I need to drive by and see how it’s looking.
07/11/2009
Went to Reader’s Corner this evening. Looks like everybody in Wilmont had to move out. :-(
07/12/2009
Yes, keys, that was confirmed to me just this weekend — a real bummer. Although reno of the building is apparently underway, I’m guessing new rents are going to outprice many of the former tenants.
07/12/2009
Defnitely a bummer. I feel very sad for the tenants and, like you, guess the new rents will not be affordable. :-(
Now my hope is that the reno will bring the fine old lady back up to some of her past glory. I’d hate for Raleigh to lose such a cool piece of our architectural history.
06/01/2014
Viewing this post has made me a little nostalgic. I also lived on Park and the Oberlin Village neighborhood soon after this. Makes me sad that the city manager up-and-left and left West Raleigh with a bunch of cookie cutter condo complexes. West Raleigh will never be like this again.