Wilmington's Background

Wilmington, California is a small industrial town, incorporated into the City of Los Angeles located adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles and San Pedro.

The founding of New San Pedro (Wilmington) was celebrated in September 1858, when Phineas Banning brought passengers and freight into his new wharf located at the foot of Canal Street, (now Avalon Boulevard.) A small town grew up around this landing and was one of the first towns established in Los Angeles County after California became a state. Wilmington was also the location for the second post office in Los Angeles County established in 1864 serving an area from Compton south and from Redondo Beach to Santa Ana. The first railroad in Southern California was built in 1869, and ran from Banning's Landing up to the City of Los Angeles.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, communications became vital and a telegraph line was routed through Wilmington to an existing line in the City of Los Angeles to the rest of the country. The U. S. Army spent a million dollars building the Drum Barracks, along with an equally important Quartermaster's Headquarters and Depot near Banning's Landing. This depot supplied the horses, mules, camels, arms and equipment for soldiers at two hundred fifteen (215) army forts and outposts in the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico.

In 1863, the California Legislature made it lawful to change the name New San Pedro Wilmington, after Phineas Banning's birthplace in Wilmington, Delaware.

Phineas Banning (1830-1885) is considered the father of the Port of Los Angeles. When he arrived in 1851 Los Angeles was an isolated outpost, literally on the farthest edge of the American continent. The city's harbor at San Pedro was little more than a swampy mud flat. But by the time Banning dies thirty-four years later, the beginning of an active port had been established. Railroad linked the harbor to the city and on to the rest of the United Sates. Telegraph lines provided instant communications. Phineas Banning played an important role in all of these contributions and to the development of Wilmington.
This information was excerpted from the Wilmington Historical Society Webpage and John Wilkman, 1999.

Banning Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone

An Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) is a city-designated historic district composed of a group of buildings (either an entire neighborhood or part of a neighborhood) that are related to one another historically, architecturally, and/or culturally.

The architecturally cohesive neighborhood of Banning Park is known for its use of Revival architecture. Models of Spanish, Dutch, and American Colonial revival, as well the Tudor style, characterize the neighborhood.

More information about the Banning Park HPOZ (PDF, 588KB).

This information is provided courtesy of the Los Angeles Conservancy.

Banning's Landing
In 1996, the Los Angeles Harbor commission approved construction of a $2.5 million, 10,000 square-foot community center at Bannings Landing. Marina Del Rey-based architect Ted Tanaka was awarded the contract to design the facility and his unique design reflects Wilmington's maritime traditions.

Drum Barracks Civil War Museum
Built during the Civil War, as Officers' quarters, this museum is housed in is the sole surviving structure of the 22 buildings that served as U.S. Army headquarters in the Southwest from 1861 until 1871.

Banning Museum
General Phineas Banning's accomplishments live on in a museum in his former house designed in the Greek Revival style.

Wilmington Historical Society
The Wilmington Historical Society is a nonprofit organization with a gallery, archives and office located in the auditorium of the historic Old Wilmington Library.

Photo Gallery
A photo gallery from the Wilmington Industrial Park and surrounding area.