The Wrightsville Beach Museum of History recently added two new board members who will use their personal interest in the island’s history to help promote the museum’s mission during its eventful 20th year in operation.
Donna Starling and Tina Williamson both grew up on Wrightsville Beach, so their own histories are intertwined with that of the island, and preserving those memories is especially meaningful to them.
Starling spent her childhood water skiing, swimming and boating around Lees Cut with her father, recent Waterman Hall of Fame inductee Mike Merritt. She joined the museum’s board of directors so she could have a greater role in reminding people of that unique time on the island.
“I’d like to dig through a lot of my family pictures and add them to the collections there,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to contributing more photos and more history.”
Starling’s interest in preserving the past is also motivated by her hopes for the future. She and her family spend summers on Wrightsville Beach and she believes keeping the beach’s history alive will help uphold the island’s character for future generations.
“I want to preserve the hometown feel of Wrightsville Beach,” she said, “and continue to make it a family beach for my children.”
Starling also looks forward to helping organize the museum’s many events throughout the year, especially the Jingle Bell Run in December. She organized a similar road race called the Leprechaun Run when she served on the Medical Society Alliance Board.
Williamson also has fond memories of growing up in Wrightsville Beach. She believes in the importance of not only preserving the island’s history, but also sharing it. She hopes to help the museum explore modern means of engaging people — especially children — with history.
“Nowadays people tend to go to websites, apps and social media to get their information,” she said, “so I think we could research that.”
Her other ideas include creating an audio track about each exhibit that people could play as they wandered through the museum. Hearing firsthand accounts of historical moments would enhance the experience of admiring the artifacts, she said.
The museum is already gathering firsthand accounts for a related project made possible by a grant from the Landfall Foundation. The Oral History Program involves interviewing older residents of Wrightsville Beach about their time on the island and personal recollections from as far back as the 1940s.
The program is “aimed at capturing the memories and perspectives of those who lived through the earlier year of Wrightsville Beach’s meaningful and significant history,” a press release states.
The museum is currently compiling a list of people to interview. For more information call 910-256-2569.
email [email protected]
