Editing Wilmington, North Carolina (section)

===20th century===
Wilmington is home to the Bijou Theater, which began as a tent in 1904 and progressed to a permanent structure in 1906.  It operated until 1956, making it the oldest movie theater in the state and one of the oldest, continuously running theaters in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twentieth-Century North Carolina Timeline |url=https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/learning/educators/timelines/twentieth-century-north-carolina-timeline |access-date=April 13, 2022 |website=www.ncmuseumofhistory.org}}</ref>  In 1910, [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] passed Wilmington to become North Carolina's largest city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmhpf.org/S&Rs%20Alphabetical%20Order/Surveys&rmeckcourthouse.htm |title=Survey and Research Report on the Mecklenburg County Courthouse|publisher=Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission|access-date=February 1, 2018}}</ref> In the mid-20th century, efforts to preserve many historic building began. Due to this, many historic buildings were listed as [[National Register of Historic Places listings in New Hanover County, North Carolina|National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Wilmington {{!}} From the Colonial Era to Today |url=https://www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/about/area-information/historical-overview/ |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com}}</ref> Since the 1980s, Wilmington has remained the largest film and television production area in the state;<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 25, 2022 |title=North Carolina's History in Film |url=https://islandlifenc.com/north-carolinas-history-in-film/ |access-date=June 3, 2022 |website=Island Life NC |language=en-US}}</ref> many locations in and outside the city have been [[Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina|used for filming]].<ref name="ILMFilm"/><ref name="ILMTelevison"/> In 1990, the extension of [[Interstate 40 in North Carolina|Interstate 40]] to New Hanover County was opened and officially connected the region to the [[Interstate Highway System]].<ref name="WilmNCpedia"/>

[[File:Wilmington 1918.jpg|thumb|800px|center|A 1918 panorama of downtown Wilmington]]
[[File:Waterfront - Wilmington, North Carolina.jpg|thumb|800px|center|A 1918 panorama of Wilmington's waterfront]]

During [[World War II]], Wilmington was the home of the [[North Carolina Shipbuilding Company]]. The shipyard was created as part of the U.S. government's [[Emergency Shipbuilding Program]]. Workers built 243 ships in Wilmington during the five years the company operated.<ref name="WWII Heritage City">{{Cite web |title=America's First "World War II Heritage City" |url=https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/departments/housing-and-neighborhood-services/world-war-ii-city |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=www.wilmingtonnc.gov |language=en}}</ref>

Three [[prisoner-of-war]] (POW) camps operated in the city from February 1944 through April 1946. At their peak, the camps held 550 [[Germany|German]] prisoners. The first camp was located on the corner of Shipyard Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road; it was moved downtown to Ann Street, between 8th and 10th Avenues, when it outgrew the original location. A smaller contingent of prisoners was assigned to a third site, working in the officers' mess and doing groundskeeping at Bluethenthal Army Air Base, which is now [[Wilmington International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wilmington's World War II German POW Camp sign dedication |url=https://www.wect.com/story/9034747/wilmingtons-world-war-ii-german-pow-camp-sign-dedication |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=WECT |date=September 19, 2008 |language=en}}</ref>