R u n n i n g H e a d : T h e H i s t o r y o f C h a p e l H i l l , N o r t h C a r o l i n a | 1

The History of Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Abby Straubel
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte


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Introduction
My family and I moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in August of 2001 from
Ridgewood, New Jersey. This was a very drastic change for our family in many aspects. We
were nine hours away from friends and family that we left behind in New Jersey, we did not
know a single person in North Carolina and the weather was so strange we couldnt seem to
wrap our heads around it. One of the first things we noticed about Chapel Hill was the extreme
hospitality and friendliness of complete strangers. When my family and I traveled around town
everyone held doors for one another, asked how they were doing and always responded with
mam or sir. While these tendencies were very unusual for us we couldnt help but feel
humbled by the true kindness in the citizens of Chapel Hill. Not only are the residents of Chapel
Hill some of the nicest people we know, but the town itself is beautifully crafted and full of rich
history. Chapel Hill is nicknamed the southern part of heaven and obtained its name from the
New Hope Chapel that was located at the top of a hilled intersection where The Carolina Inn
stands today (The Town of Chapel Hill, 2012).
Occaneechi Indians
The Occaneechi Indians were originally discovered in 1650 by an English Explorer that
located their settlement on a small island near Roanoke River. The Occaneechi tribe played a
large role in a fur trade with tribes located in Virginia and the Piedmonts including the Catawba
Indians and the Cherokee Indians. During the year of 1676 the Occaneechi tribe was attacked
and forced out of the Roanoke area by English settlers and the colonist Nathanial Bacon. The
Occaneechis relocated to the Eno River which is a part of todays Orange County (Williams,
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2012). Orange County is comprised of towns such as Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Greensboro, and
several other towns in the northern part of North Carolina.
Between the years of 1983 and 1986 archaeologist students studying at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill excavated the Occaneechi village in what is now known as
Hillsborough, North Carolina. These archaeologists discovered about twelve wigwam houses
surrounded by a central square and a sweat lodge (Williams, 2012). A cemetery was also
uncovered right outside of the village and the number of graves lead to the suspicion that these
Occaneechi Indians fought through several battles as well as severe illnesses and disease
(Williams, 2012).
Even though the Occaneechi Indians resided in Hillsborough, North Carolina they
became an essential part of Chapel Hills history when the archaeologists of UNC discovered
their village and researched their ways of life. Legend has it that the Occaneechi Indians would
pass through Chapel Hill when embarking on a voyage and rest while they gathered water for
themselves and their horses. Even though that information has never been confirmed the story
has been passed on for generations and is yet another reason the Occaneechi Indians are such a
large part of the history of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina is most well-known for being the birth place of the
University of North Carolina, the first public university in the United States. UNC was founded
in 1789 and the first classes began in 1795 (Davie and the Universitys Founding). The
university was chartered by the General Assembly and was the only public university to award
students with degrees during the eighteenth century (Carolinas Early Benefactors). In the
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beginning years the university did not have the funds to construct the buildings and hire faculty
so they were forced to ask for money from the citizens (Carolinas Early Benefactors). The
university was fortunate enough to have over one thousand acres of land donated to them from
six different local townspeople. The most generous of these donors was Christopher Barbee who
donated a total of two hundred and twenty-one acres to the University of North Carolina in 1792
(Carolinas Early Benefactors).
For the first several years of the universitys construction the creation of the buildings
depended on slaves that were referred to as college servants or college hands (Slavery and
the Making of the University). Some of the wealthier students that attended the University of
North Carolina were accompanied by their own personal slaves. The duties of these college
servants consisted of waking before dawn and caring for the students fires, cleaning the
dormitories and dining halls, carrying their school books and much more (Slavery and the
Making of the University).
In 1795 the University of North Carolina received their first student, Hinton James
(Names Across the Landscape). James studied civil engineering and graduated in 1798 as part of
the first graduating class of the university and was elected to the state legislature for several
terms shortly after graduating. Today there is a residence hall, Hinton James Hall, which
commemorates his significance to the university. The number of students increased significantly
by the end of the universitys first term when forty more students joined. The student population
increased the following term when a total of seventy-four students were enrolled at the university
(Names Across the Landscape). During the antebellum period prior to the Civil War the student
population reached its peak of four hundred and sixty students in 1859. The four hundred and
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sixty students fell just shy of the student population at Yale University which had reached five
hundred and fifty five students in 1859 (Yale History Timeline).
Today the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is responsible for educating more
than twenty-nine thousand undergraduate and graduate students with a faculty of three thousand
and six hundred educators (About UNC). The University of North Carolina is no longer the only
university in the state of North Carolina as there are now fourteen other schools that have joined
in educating students since the arrival of UNC in 1789. The fourteen state institutions that have
developed over the years provide students with greater opportunities for education. The
University of North Carolina paved the way for the many universities that followed and created
an incredible historic tale for Chapel Hill.
Comparing and Analyzing: Chapel Hill Then and Now
When comparing Chapel Hill in the year 1795 to present day Chapel Hill much has
changed. The population of Chapel Hill in 1795 consisted of only several hundred citizens and
today the population has drastically increased to 57,233 (The Town of Chapel Hill, 2012). As the
University of North Carolina was created and became extremely well known the population
slowly grew per year and by 1990 the town held 38,719 residents. The town of Chapel Hill
became so well populated because the University of North Carolina attracted so many students
and residents but as time has gone on the town has become much more than just a college town.
Chapel Hills population is projected to grow to 80,483 by the year 2035 and the number of
employees in Chapel Hill is expected to rise to 74,875 (The Town of Chapel Hill, 2012).
Chapel Hill has evolved over time by creating a town full of locally-owned small
businesses that draw in residents and visitors from all over the United States (Morrow, 1994).
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Chapel Hill today compared to Chapel Hill in 1795 is so very different it becomes difficult to see
that they are the same town. In 1795 Chapel Hill consisted of several small buildings with rather
basic designs for the University and small homes throughout the town, majority of which was
built by the college servants (Slavery and the Making of the University). Chapel Hill today is
full of a variety of homes, some historic in age and some brand new and rather luxurious. The
campus has made additions and renovations but overall the University has preserved their
historic buildings and landmarks. The original map of the town of Chapel Hill, created in 1789
revealed twenty-four two acre lots and six four acre lots surrounding the edge of the campus
(Town of Chapel Hill, 2014). In 1859 the town consisted of eight hundred and twenty acres and
in present day Chapel Hill consists of about twenty-one square miles (Town of Chapel Hill,
2014).
The creation of the University of North Carolina greatly benefitted the economy of
Chapel Hill. The university is the leading public employer of Chapel Hill creating jobs for a total
of 16,217 citizens. The second leading employer is the universitys health care program
providing 7,964 careers for the people of Chapel Hill (The Town of Chapel Hill, 2012). The
university has greatly increased the amount of jobs available to the residents of Chapel Hill and
helped to keep the unemployment rate as low as 5.4% in 2010 which is half of the
unemployment rate in the state of North Carolina in 2010 at 10.6% (The Town of Chapel Hill,
2012).
Conclusion
In conclusion Chapel Hill, North Carolina is a town rich with history. The University of
North Carolina is the most well-known aspect of Chapel Hill but there is much more to this small
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town than most people are aware of. Even though the University had the greatest impact on
Chapel Hill there are other smaller historic events that also contributed to the creation of this
small town. Every single event that has occurred helped to shape and mold the present day
Chapel Hill. While most people are aware that the University of North Carolina resides in Chapel
Hill and was the first public university in the United States it is not as common knowledge for
people to understand all of the pieces of history that make up that great university. Comparing
Chapel Hill before and after the creation of the university truly revealed how much of a
beneficial addition the university is to my hometown. Over time this town has drastically
transformed from a small town with hopes of creating a university to a college town with one of
the most prestigious universities in North Carolina. The university has impacted this town in
every way imaginable; especially economically, geographically and culturally. The history of my
hometown was both surprising and extremely educational. The research I have conducted has
only helped me to appreciate my hometown and the deep history behind it even more than I
already did.
Reflection
This project was extremely beneficial for me. I have learned so much about my
hometown that I may have never taken the time to discover had it not been for this assignment. I
feel badly that I have lived in Chapel Hill for the past thirteen years and never truly educated
myself on the history of my hometown. In the beginning of this project I found it extremely
difficult to locate information and reliable resources but after digging even deeper I was able to
find a great selection of references. I was surprised by a lot of the information that I found when
researching my topic. I was unaware of all of the history that occurred in Chapel Hill including
the slaves that helped build the university, the discovery of the Occaneechi Indians and the many
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ways that the university impacted Chapel Hill both economically and culturally. After
completing all of my necessary research I began to realize that I would have to selectively
choose which topics I would discuss in my paper because I simply could not cover all of the
history that makes up the university.
The standards that align with my content knowledge project are 3.H.1 and 3.H.2. 3.H.1
states that students should be able to understand how events, individuals and ideas have
influenced the history of local and regional communities (Common Core State Standards,
2010). 3.H.2 requires students to be able to use historical thinking skills to understand the
context of events, people and places (Common Core State Standards, 2010). In order to teach
these standards I would create a timeline of events that document Chapel Hills history. For
example some of the events I would place on the timeline would be the discovery of the
Occaneechi Indians, the founding of the University of North Carolina, the date the first building
was created on UNCs campus and the day the first student entered the university. It is important
that students realize that historic events are all around them and every place they visit has a story
to tell. I believe it would be a beneficial activity for students to research a place they have
traveled to or would like to travel to and find several historical events to place on a timeline and
describe to the class.
After completing this paper I have become rather proud of the fact that I can call Chapel
Hill, North Carolina my hometown. So many groundbreaking events took place in Chapel Hill
that I am lucky to witness the end result of so much hard work and triumph on a daily basis when
traveling around my hometown. I am glad I was given the opportunity to complete this project
because even though it was extremely difficult I learned much more than I ever imagined
possible. This project also helped me to appreciate social studies more by making me realize how
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big of an impact each historical event can have. For example, the creation of the university
altered Chapel Hill in several different perspectives. Some of the perspectives that the university
changed included the economics, the culture and the geography of Chapel Hill. Completing this
project reminded me how important it is to continue to educate students on all social studies
topics. This project made me realize how fascinating history can be when one has a personal
connection to the subject being researched. I believe it is important to create interactive and
hands-on activities for students to be engaged and interested in all subjects, including social
studies. I only wish that someone had educated me on the history of my hometown much sooner.
References
About unc. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1 2014, from http://unc.edu/about/
Common Core State Standards. (2010, December 1). . Retrieved May 1, 2014, from
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/standards/new-standards/social-studies/3-5.pdf
Morrow, M., & Chapel Hill Bicentennial Commission. (1994). A backward glance: Facts of life
in Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, N.C: The Commission.
Snapshots of the town of chapel hill. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1 2014, from
http://www.townofchapelhill.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=12176
The Carolina StoryCarolina's Early Benefactors:. (n.d.). The Carolina StoryCarolina's Early
Benefactors:. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from
http://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/early_benefactors/contiguous-land-donations-to-the-
university/
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The Carolina StoryDavie and the University's Founding:. (n.d.). The Carolina StoryDavie
and the University's Founding:. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from
http://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/davie/william-richardson-davie-1756-1820-miniature-
engra/
The Carolina StoryNames Across the Landscape:. (n.d.). The Carolina StoryNames Across
the Landscape:. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from
http://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/names/hinton-james-1776-1847-and-hinton-james-
residence-/
The College Servants. (n.d.). Slavery and the Making of the University: Servants. Retrieved May
1, 2014, from http://www2.lib.unc.edu/mss/exhibits/slavery/servants.html
The town of chapel hill: History. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1 2014, from
http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=45
The university of north carolina at chapel hill. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1 2014, from
http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/733/entry
Williams, S. (2012, May 24). Occaneechi. North Carolina History Project :. Retrieved May 4,
2014, from http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/850/entry
Yale history timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1 2014, from
http://guides.library.yale.edu/content.php?pid=388420&sid=3183018