Ahrens Building

Ahrens Building

1907

Henry E. Bonitz, Architect

Neoclassical Revival style commercial building commissioned by Benjamin H.J. Ahrens (1844-1912), native of Germany, grocer, for sons Eduard (1876-1961), and Adolph G. (1882-

1953), who operated Ahrens Brothers Wholesale Drug Company here for thirty-one years. Successive businesses include Gregg's Appliance Stare, 1940-1963; and Western Auto Supply, 1964-1980.



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The Ahrens Building is a Neoclassical Revival style commercial building. Neoclassical revival, by definition, means that the building is meant to resemble classical buildings from the revered ancient Greek and Roman eras. This includes features like columns, ornamental aesthetic designs, and geometric shapes, which are oftentimes very large in scale. The architect, Henry E. Bonitz was a prolific and well-known architect in Wilmington. Bonitz also was of German descent, which netted him a large patronage of German clients.1  This includes Benjamin H.J. Ahrens, who was a native of Germany.

  1. “Bonitz, Henry E. (1872-1921).” North Carolina Architects and Builders - A Biographical Dictionary. Accessed February 6, 2024. https://ncarchitects.lib.ncsu.edu/people/P000244.↩

The first of those listed on the plaque is Henry E. Bonitz, who is the architect of the building. An excerpt written about him in the Wilmington Star-News by Bill Reaves reveals more about his past and significance in Wilmington. Bonitz moved to Wilmington with his father to operate the Bonitz Hotel on Market Street. He got his degree from the State College of Agriculture and Engineering at Raleigh and worked alongside another Wilmington architect named James F. Post. He remodeled institutions, made plans for hospitals, and designed local Wilmington homes.2  Besides the Ahrens building, Bonitz designed the Garrell Office Building and the Gaylord Building.3  Although he focused most of his career on creating stylish structures in Wilmington, Bonitz also designed buildings for out-of-town patrons. He led a successful career until his untimely and sudden death during an operation at the age of 49.4 

As stated previously, Bonitz often designed the homes of many German Americans. The man who was the commissioner and first owner of the Ahrens Building was Benjamin H.J. Ahrens. As stated by Benjamin’s obituary, “He was vice president of the Atlantic Trust & Banking Co. and a large real estate owner.”5  More written about Benjamin’s life and impact on the Wilmington community is written in The Wilmington Dispatch. Benjamin, commonly referred to as B. H. J. Ahrens, was described as one of Wilmington’s most honored German citizens. After he died, many members of the community called to offer condolences to his widow and two sons. Benjamin is said to be a man of splendid business judgment, and he was careful with managing his investments while still devoting himself to his personal ideals of “right living.”6  The Ahren family were members of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wilmington. Benjamin was a member of the church’s building committee.7 

  1. Reaves, Bill (August 5, 1976). "Inside Old Wilmington: Bonitz added flavor to city". Wilmington Star-News.↩

  2. “Mercantile and Industrial Review of Wilmington and New Hanover County, North Carolina.” ECU Digital Collections. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/17038. ↩

  3. Reaves, Bill (August 5, 1976). "Inside Old Wilmington: Bonitz added flavor to city". Wilmington Star-News.↩

  4.  “Benjamin H J Ahrens (1844-1912) - Find a Grave...” Find a Grave. Accessed February 7, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42328299/benjamin-h_j-ahrens. ↩

  5.  "B H J Ahrens" Newspapers.com. The Wilmington Dispatch, April 15, 1912. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wilmington-dispatch-b-h-j-ahrens/45342054/.↩

  6. History of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, ... Accessed February 10, 2024. http://divinityarchive.com/bitstream/handle/11258/8584/historyofstpauls00hess.pdf?sequence=1. ↩

Ahrens Bros Opium.jpeg Ahren Brothers advertisement .jpeg

The other owners of the building are two of Benjamin’s sons, Eduard Ahrens and Adolph George Ahrens. The two ran the Ahrens Brothers Wholesale Drug Company together in the building. Their business venture was announced in the Wilmington Morning Star newspaper on January 5th, 1906.8  Both men are skilled in both business and pharmaceutical industry, with Eduard having gained experience in handling large real estate interests from Benjamin and Adolph Geroge being a graduate pharmacist with experience in the retail drug business long before he and his brother decided to team up and create a business together.9  One of the products they would sell is Paregoric, which is a mixture of opium, morphine, and other ingredients.10  The company lasted for 31 years. Both Eduard and Adolph George were members of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran, just like their father. Eduard was the church’s treasurer and the one “who made available many documents and pamphlets containing valuable historical material which he had carefully preserved through the years.”11  While it is not known if Eduard had any children, Adolph George had two daughters named Adelaide Ahrens Tucker and Gladys Ahrens Love with his wife, Lillian Grant Davis Ahrens. The character of Eduard and Adolph George’s business is best described in The City of Wilmington, the Metropolis and Port City of North Carolina, “The management of the business has been distinguished by energy, foresight and the pursuance of an enlightened and progressive business policy, which has resulted in making the enterprise a leading and most valuable asset of the city of Wilmington.”12 



  1.  “The Wilmington Morning Star 05 Jan 1906, Page Page 1.” Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s - Newspapers.com. Accessed February 10, 2024. https://www.newspapers.com/image/54050119/?clipping_id=23639883&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR↩

  2. “The Wilmington Morning Star 05 Jan 1906, Page Page 1.” Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s - Newspapers.com. Accessed February 10, 2024. ↩

  3. “Antique Druggist’s Bottle Paregoric Tincture of Opium Ahrens Brothers Apothecar.” Worthpoint. Accessed February 7, 2024. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-druggists-bottle-paregoric-1936865297.↩

  4.  History of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, ... Accessed February 10, 2024. http://divinityarchive.com/bitstream/handle/11258/8584/historyofstpauls00hess.pdf?sequence=1. ↩

  5. The City of Wilmington, the metropolis and Port of North Carolina: Its advantages and interests, also a series of sketches of Representative Business Houses. Wilmington, NC: Wilmington Stamp & Print. Co., 1912, 30.↩

Benjamin Ahrens newspaper clip.jpeg

Those missing from the structure are other family members of the Ahrens family. Wilhelm B Athrens is Benjamin’s first son who died at five years old. He did not live long enough to contribute to his family’s business, so he likely never was in the Ahrens building. The other family member missing from the plaque is Adelheit Haar Ahrens, who is Benjamin’s wife. Adelheit was born in Germany, just as her husband was. This information was gathered both from Benjamin’s own obituary and from their family cemetery plot in Oakdale Cemetery Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. Information on those who ran the other businesses that took place within the building is unknown.

The Ahrens building has been home to many other businesses since the Ahrens brothers ended their company. After the brothers disbanded their company, the building housed Gregg’s Appliance Store from the year 1940 to 1963. The building also housed Western Auto Supply from the year 1964 to 1980. It is unknown who the owners of the buildings were at that time. Today, the building functions as the Rocket Fizz chain candy shop. An interesting aspect about this building is, despite all the changes of businesses within the premises, to this day, the Ahrens Bros sign is still hanging on the front of the building.

-Audrey Ross

Interpretive Essays
Ahrens Building