Chapel Hill Historical Society
Preserving the history of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and neighboring
communities in Orange County, for future generations.
The Chapel Hill Historical Society was founded in 1966 to research and document the history of Chapel Hill and the surrounding communities, to encourage and assist in the study of local history, and to provide public programs and publications related to the heritage and traditions of the area.
Help support our mission: Join or Renew Your Membership Today!
What’s New
Heart of Hill Spring Tours Resume
March – May 2024
Just visiting? A newcomer? A town resident? Join us at the Chapel Hill/Orange County Welcome Center for a tour to walk the heart of town with a local guide … a downtown walking tour of Chapel Hill’s past, present & future, filled with our singular places, people, history, myths & lore, traditions and impact. . For schedule and to register, please use the following link: SPRING 2024 SCHEDULE – HEARToftheHILL (heartofthehilltours.com)
The Business of Franklin Street Exhibit
Now Open
Serving as the front door to the University of North Carolina since its beginnings, Franklin Street is legendary for gamedays & celebrations, to work, worship, eat, stroll, protest, parade, and party.
Join us in a walk through the past, down Franklin Street in 1977, almost 50 years ago. Stroll by an authentic streetscape, created from storefront photos taken at the time by the Chapel Hill Historical Society. This exhibit aims to spark memories, engage & connect you to our local history and bring understanding and appreciation of the shared treasure that is Franklin Street.
Upcoming Programs
May – TBA
Recent Programs
April 13 at 2pm at the Seymour Center – “In Search of the Missing Steeple: Uncovering Chapel Hill’s Antebellum Past.” Presented by Gordon Johnson. Learn how an amateur historian discovered 1850s Chapel Hill during a two-year search for the church steeple that was supposed to be there, but wasn’t. YouTube recording available here: https://youtu.be/kGvSCGGhzj4
March 9: “Orange County Cotton Mills & Generations of Families,” presented by Sarah Carrier. YouTube recording available here: https://youtu.be/85knfjioQLU.
See our Past Programs page for descriptions and recordings of other past programs : Past Programs.
Access to Collections and Reference Materials
Our most used reference books, photos, vertical files and records are now housed in our small reading room at the Midway Center where they are available for research via appointment. Other materials, including our newspaper collection, remain in remote storage but can be made available for specific research requests. If you would like access to any of our research materials, please email us at chhistoricalsociety@gmail.com or call and leave a message at our business office at 919-929-1793 to arrange an appointment.
Support Us
Join the Historical Society today or buy our books!
Find out more about supporting us here.
Location
Business Office:
109 N. Graham St., Suite 104
Collections & Reference Materials:
109 N. Graham St. , Suite 102
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Contact Us
Email
chhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Phone
919-929-1793
Mail
Chapel Hill Historical Society
P.O. Box 9032
Chapel Hill, NC 27515