The property that houses the Museum of the Bizarre in downtown Wilmington could be on its way to a local landmark designation from the city and the potential 50% property tax deferral that comes with it.

The museum is housed at Water and Orange streets in the former Wilmington Iron Works Machine Shop, a structure dating as far back as 1869. Downtown business owner Justin LaNasa bought the property at 201 S. Water St. from the estate of Dean Ripa, owner of the previously adjacent Cape Fear Serpentarium, who was shot and killed by his wife in 2017.

LaNasa said he opened the museum in 2015. Both he and Ripa, he said, had wanted the 5,400-square-foot structure to remain a piece of Wilmington’s history. With the help of local real estate broker Clayton Hamerski, LaNasa hopes his property can be deemed a local landmark by the city after applying to be on a study list.

“In my opinion, it (the local landmark designation) will lock in not developing the property,” LaNasa said Monday. “That's my big concern – if anything ever were to happen, a next owner or buyer could, you know, build three-story condos there. I want it to remain historical.”

According to a Historic Wilmington Foundation plaque on the museum building, Wilmington Iron Works leased the building from 1908 to 1929, when the company bought the property. It remained as Wilmington Iron Works for 71 years, the plaque states. Before it went out of business in 2000, the firm made a variety of iron goods, "from doors and fences, gears, engines, boilers and saws, to large locomotives and steam-boats," Hamerski's and LaNasa's application states.

The city of Wilmington lists nine existing designated local landmarks on its website, including Greenfield Lake Park and Gardens and the home of Hubert Eaton, a doctor and civil rights movement leader, at 1406 Orange St.

“Landmark designation means the community recognizes a property as an important historic resource worthy of preservation,” the city's website states. “Any substantial exterior design changes to a designated landmark are subject to design review procedures of the Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission. The owner may apply for an annual deferral of 50% of the property taxes for as long as the property is designated and retains significance and integrity.”

The Iron Works Machine Shop application to be included on a study list is set to be part of an evidentiary hearing during the Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission’s meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday on the second floor of Thalian Hall, 102 N. Third St.

The case study accompanying the HPC’s agenda for Thursday says, “Listing in the Study List does not mean the property is being designated as a local historic landmark and a formal Local Landmark application shall be completed before the property can be designated as an official local historic landmark.”

Hamerski said one of the reasons preserving the old Iron Works building is important is because it represents a sometimes overlooked piece of Wilmington’s past.

“We don't hear a lot of history about the commercial side," he said.

The HPC case summary outlines the next steps.

"The Study List application is reviewed by the Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission, and if the Commission finds that the property meets the minimum requirements for consideration as a local historic landmark, the Commission can add the resource to the Study List and provide instructions on how the Local Landmark nomination should proceed," the document states.