Who We Are
Our members share a common interest in working with wood and other wood products. The club welcomes anyone who would like to learn more about this craft or explore a new aspect. Our members' skills range from beginner to expert.
Club History
Since its founding in 1995, the Cape Fear Woodcarvers Club has grown to become an important arts resource in the Wilmington, North Carolina area. The seed for a wood carving club was planted during an American Legion ceremony luncheon when Andy Jones and Frank Buesseler discovered that they had a common interest in wood carving. Andy arranged with Poplar Grove Plantation to host their carving club and contacted the local newspaper and Chip Chats to announce the establishment of the group. This was before the creation of websites so the word spread slowly, however, through the efforts of many dedicated members, the club began to grow.
The founding members were Gene Abramsky, Frank Buesseler, Linda Jernigan, Andy Jones, Bill Jump, Florence Scott, Art White and Jim Whitelaw. Eventually the club membership increased to more than 70 men and women, who came from as far north as Jacksonville, and as far south as Myrtle Beach, and all points in between.
In 2015 the club meeting location moved to the 5th Avenue United Methodist Church. However, in 2023, the closing of the Methodist church required us to move our meeting place again. We now meet at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church at the corner of 6th and Market streets in the Historic District of Wilmington. In recent years, membership has diminished to less than 40 but interest in our club is rebounding as Wilmington continues to grow.