When it comes to icons of the Cape Fear, few stand as sturdy as the Old Dram Tree. Although it has long since been lost to progress, the story of the Dram Tree is one that charts the entire developed history of the Wilmington area.

The bald cypress tree served as a "a grim sentinel," as it has been called, for mariners traveling the Cape Fear River all the way back to the pre-Colonial period. But how did it get its name and what happened to it? This episode, we are joined by Jack Fryar, a local historian and publisher of Dram Tree Books, to talk about the facts and fate of the Old Dram Tree.

Be sure to come grab your copy of Louis T. Moore's "Stories Old and New of the Cape Fear Region," on which this season is based, in the Burgwin-Wright House gift shop today!

This podcast is sponsored by Durable Restoration Company.

For more information about the Burgwin-Wright House and to learn how to support the house, visit BurgwinWrightHouse.com.

Cover art design by Rachel Ross.