You’re thinking of the Wilmington Rescue Mission, a small church that was active into the 1970s between Hanover Center and the old Haverty’s location in the Azalea Plaza shopping center on Oleander Drive.
According to Hugh MacRae II of The Oleander Co. (which operates Hanover Center), the small lot between the two shopping centers was owned for many years by Carolina Beach real estate investor Glenn Tucker. Tucker eventually sold the property to the Rescue Mission, which erected the small building.
Hanover Center eventually acquired the property. The church building was demolished by the time Harris Teeter moved into the shopping center and expanded its store space into the lot.
Date posted: May 6, 2011
If I’m thinking of the same building, the Catholic Church conducted services there on Saturday nights. I believe they called it St. Philip’s.
I remember it well. It was St. Philips Catholic Church. We went to church there often. It was beside what was then J M Fields.