Visit the Latimer House ~ my setting for The Last Heiress
I’m often asked where I get the settings for my stories. From real life is my usual answer. Today I’ll take you to��visit��the Latimer House on 126��S. 3rd St. in Wilmington, NC, home of 
my fictional Jackson and Abigail Henthorne of The Last Heiress. Having a real life mansion as a model makes setting the stage easier and far more accurate. The gardens,��both side and back,��the entrance to the subterranean level, the slave quarters, the interior rooms, and the porches all feature into my story. Of course, I embellished or changed a few details, because that’s what fiction writers do. But if you��visit to the real life Latimer House, now home to the Wilmington Historical Society, I think you’ll agree I got the grand��opulence��of the mansion right-on-the-money!
The Latimer House,��built in 1852 by local merchant Zebulon Latimer,��is��open to the public as an historic house exemplary of upper-class life in Wilmington during the Victorian period. With 14 furnished rooms��the Latimer House lets you step back in time to a more elegant era. The house, built in the popular Italianate style, was designed��with a central hallway on each floor with��identical layouts on either side. The first floor contains��the formal sitting and dining areas on the north side, used for entertaining and special occasions, and��the less formal sitting rooms to the south.
If you are looking for a charming��place for your meeting, luncheon, or party, then 
search no further than the Latimer House! The Victorian inspired garden is��perfect��for your special photography session, while the tearoom can accommodate��guests in a historic atmosphere.��Available seven days a week, but reservations are required.��Call 910-762-0492 for more information or e-mail us at info@latimerhouse.org.
Unfortunately, the house is not handicapped accessible. Next week, readers, we’ll be visiting downtown Wilmington, NC, where my handsome hero, Nathaniel Cooper had his delightful��store. Stay tuned, and stay warm….. Mary
