Chapel Hill - Orange County NC Neighborhoods

WEDDING/EVENTS • FARMERS’ MARKETS • ART WALKS • VISITOR RESOURCES

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O R A N G E C O U N T Y FA C T S

G R E E N WAY S

T H E A RT S

Chapel Hill /Orange County Visitors Bureau 501 West Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC (USA) 27516 888.968.2060 | 919.245.4320 Fax: 919.968.2062 info@visitchapelhill.org | www.visitchapelhill.org Orange County, NC Neighborhoods ©December 2019 by the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau.

Photos by Donn Young unless otherwise noted.

Design: Sallie Scharding Design.

Front Cover Photo: By Sallie Scharding Design “Shake Sugaree” at the Kraken featuring Johnathan Byrd, Johnny Waken and Austin McCall.

Material in the Orange County, NC Neighborhoods may not be reproduced without written permission. Requests should be made to the above address.

Photo by Alicia Stemper

facebook.com/visitchapelhill

@ visitchapelhill visitchapelhill

Chapel Hill’s historic Gimghoul neighborhood is idyllic and even features an old castle.

WWW.ORANGECOUNTYNC.GOV

Welcome To The Locales, Regions & Communities Of Orange County Consider this guide a collection of highlights: not all neighborhoods are represented here, but instead, this guide might give you an idea of what makes this place unique, from the historic to the brand new.

CHAPEL HILL Downtown....................................................................04

The University of North Carolina.................................06 Northside.....................................................................10

Kings Mill / Morgan Creek........................................... 12

Lake Forest / Eastwood..................................................14 Meadowmont. . ..............................................................14

Southern Village...........................................................15

C A R R B O R O Downtown....................................................................16

5 4 W E S T / W H I T E C RO S S White Cross / Dodsons Crossroads.................................. 20

Lavender Oaks Farm (Off Old Greensboro Rd).. ............22 O L D 8 6 S C E N I C RO U T E

Old Hwy 86 / Calvander. . ..............................................23

H I L L S B O RO U G H Downtown....................................................................27

Maple View Farm.........................................................29

West Hillsborough . . .......................................................30 Riverwalk.....................................................................31

Historic Hillsborough . . ..................................................32

RU R A L O R A N G E

Efland......................................................................... 34

C E D A R G R O V E Community .. ............................................................... 38

Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm........................................39 H URDLE MILLS & POLO FIELDS ...................................................................................... 40 LAKE ORANGE /SCHLEY

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Photo by Town Of Chapel Hill

Downtown Chapel Hill, Franklin Street

Chapel Hill

Big-city sophistication with small-town southern charm

The University of North Carolina, the oldest state school in the country, was first charted in 1789, built in 1793 and opened in 1795. The university was built here, near the ruins of a chapel, due to its central location in the state, right in Orange County. Chapel Hill was originally named after the hill that once served as home to New Hope Chapel.

The Carolina Inn now sits atop that hill. Chapel Hill was founded in 1819 to serve the University of North Carolina and grew up around it.

Chapel Hill, with a population of 59,000, blends liberal philosophy, with Southern culture and long-held traditions. Here you will find community-minded businesses

and political activism, as well as a cultural scene of music, artists, award-winning chefs and restaurants and micro-breweries. The warm months bring loads of outdoor dining and music on expansive community lawns.

The town is walkable and you can stroll down the streets of Chapel Hill to find clues from inventor, statesman, and all-around Renaissance man Benjamin Franklin.

“As close to magic as I’ve ever been,” was how author Thomas Wolfe described his days at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Fridays On The Front Porch

Dining at The Top Of The Hill

Franklin Street

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Photo by Steven Paul Whitsitt

about the Town’s history. The main downtown thoroughfare Franklin Street gets its name

Photo by Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill

Old Well on the UNC Campus

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL The University of North Carolina was the first public university in the nation.

In 1789, William Richardson Davie wrote the act that established the University.

In 1793, he and fellow trustees laid the cornerstone of the first building, Old East.

Students arrived in 1795, and UNC became the only public university to award degrees in the 18th century.

The Old Well, a neoclassical rotunda that stands at the heart of the campus, is the most enduring visual symbol of the school.

Photo by Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill

UNC has 30,000 students including 19,000 undergraduates. There are 330,000+ alumni living in 50 states and D.C. and 160 counties.

Towering over McCorkle Place are two large tulip poplar trees named after Carolina’s founder William Davie. The oldest — Davie Poplar — has stood since before the University opened in 1795.

The tree has become so iconic that legend says if the Davie Poplar falls, then the University will also fall. Not taking any chances, Carolina planted Davie Poplar Jr. 100 years ago, creating a royal line of trees.

Rameses, a Horned Dorset sheep, and his ancestors have been entertaining Tar Heel fans since 1924.

Through 2018-19, Carolina athletics has won 44 NCAA Championships and has placed in the top 15 of the Learfield Directors’ Cup ranking of the best collegiate athletic programs for 20 consecutive years.

Relighting of the Bell Tower, UNC Campus

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FestiFall

Franklin Street The heart of Chapel Hill is Franklin Street. The downtown portion of this famous street stretches about a mile and runs adjacent of the university. Some of the restaurants have been here for nearly a century, but other venues are almost brand new including pizza joints, clothing shops, boutiques, memorabilia shops, bookstores, art space, studios and apartment buildings. It’s here on this main block where students and our town denizens go to eat, drink and where bonfires are built when we celebrate our national championships.

The Baxter Arcade on Graham Street near Franklin

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Photo by Town of Chapel Hill

Varsity Theater

Rosemary Street Everyone knows Franklin Street. It’s Chapel Hill’s main drag, the classic college town’s classic strip. But

Mural on Rosemary St.

just a block away, parallel to Franklin St, is a lesserknown thoroughfare, a street with a wide array of attractions and a multitude of personalities that reflect the variety and always evolving nature of the community: Rosemary Street.

In just a mile and a third, Rosemary Street goes from bucolic to commercial, from stately residential to downhome funky.

Starting from the far eastern end, near the historic district La Residence

of town, is the Horace Williams House and its expansive green lawn. As you walk on Rosemary Street and head toward the UNC campus, some of these large homes are now fraternity or sorority houses. The sidewalks become wider and smoother, the street opening up.

The commercial part of Rosemary gives visitors easy access to parking at the Wallace Deck; you can park your car and then explore this downtown area.

Old meets new towards Church Street as La Residence, Chapel Hill’s first gourmet French restaurant —

Mama Dip s

celebrating 40 years, says the sign in front — sits right next to the new AC Marriott, Chapel Hill’s newest hotel.

Rosemary Street is home to Mama Dip’s, Chapel Hill’s bastion of soul food, originally started by Mama Dip (Mildred Council) and the tradition now carried on by her family.

There’s a popular arcade bar, resale shops, tattoo parlor, Bowbarr and small eateries. There’s an old barber shop, a vape store, a kombucha store as well as the almosthidden courtyard entrance to Carrburritos.

It’s a testament to the incredible diversity of one of the area’s most interesting streets.

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Northside North of Rosemary Street, The Northside neighborhood is historically Chapel Hill’s largest black community.

Originally, residents were largely employed by The University of North Carolina in service and maintenance roles, or in manual labor constructing the stone buildings on campus. Residents eventually became labor leaders in the 1930s and Civil Rights leaders in the 1960s.

In 2017 the Freedom Fighters Gateway memorial was established at the corner of West Rosemary Street and North Roberson Street to commemorate the civil rights protests that happened in Northside.

Chapel Hill’s first sit-in took place at Colonial Drugstore (now West End Wine Bar) on February 28, 1960, led by students from the all-black Lincoln High School.

Photo by Alicia Stemper

Marian Cheek Jackson (1925-2017) was born in Chapel Hill to Pearl Cotton, who worked in the home of UNC’s

first botany professor William Coker, and Kennon Cheek, who formed the university’s first Janitorial Association in 1939. Her grandfather, a freed slave and stone mason, helped build UNC’s original stone walls and built the family home that stands today.

Jackson served as a historian and spokesperson for Northside. In 2008 the Marian Cheek Jackson Center took her namesake, with a mission “to honor, renew, and build community in the historic Northside and Pine Knolls neighborhoods of Chapel Hill.”

Constructed in 1941, the Hargraves Community Center has gone through several names: the Negro Community Center, the Robeson Street Center and the Hargraves Center (named after Parks and Recreation Commission member William M. Hargraves). Originally a recreational center for Chapel Hill’s black youth, today its programs serve the entire community.

Freedom Fighters Memorial

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Photo by Alicia Stemper Photo by Town of Chapel Hill

Hargraves Community Center

Good Neighbor Initiative in Northside

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Kings Mill Road & Morgan Creek

Kings Mill Road takes its name from a grist mill which once existed on Morgan Creek, and the millstone from that very mill

James Taylor

One of the most ecologically diverse and stunning

has been recovered and now stands at the entrance to

neighborhoods in Chapel Hill, the Kings Mill/Morgan

the herb garden at the nearby North Carolina Botanical

Creek area, has been home to celebrities of all kinds,

Garden. The Botanical Garden comprises more than

from Dean Smith, who practically invented basketball,

1,000 acres, including 10 acres of display gardens and a

to singer/songwriter James Taylor, whose lovely song

number of natural areas.

“Copperline” was inspired by the neighborhood he grew up in, Morgan Creek. And so many doctors and medical faculty have lived here; just a stone’s throw from UNC’s nationally ranked medical facilities, that it was historically called “Pill Hill.” It’s that sort of place.

The Merritt’s pasture, at the end of the western end of Morgan Creek neighborhood, was purchased by the Town of Chapel Hill in 1991. There is a walking path from the pasture going west beneath a bridge on Highway 15-501 to a parking area on Highway 54.

The Kings Mill/Morgan Creek neighborhood was developed in the 1950s and 1960s on land owned by Dr. William Chambers Coker, his university colleague Henry Roland Totten and William Lanier Hunt. Morgan Creek takes its name from the family of Mark Morgan, an early settler who came from Pennsylvania in preRevolutionary War days to farm land he purchased from the Earl of Granville, of all people. According in the hollow of a giant sycamore tree near the banks of the creek.

Millstone Marker

Morgan Creek Trail

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Photo by SP Murray

Photo by Alicia Stemper

to legend, his first residence was

Photo courtesy of North Carolina Botanical Garden

North Carolina Botanical Garden

Lake Forest & Eastwood Located in the heart of Chapel Hill, Lake Forest is built around Chapel Hill’s largest lake and features 40+ lakefront homes. It consists primarily of North Lakeshore Drive and South Lakeshore Drive, two meandering roads that follow the lake’s shoreline. The land was originally owned by William Coker, renowned botanist from the University of North Carolina.

Photo by Alicia Stemper

Old timers and native Chapel Hillians know Eastwood Lake as Grandma’s Lake. In 1944 Eastwood Lake made the national news when people searched the lake for

a missing woman, Mrs. Addie M. Jewett. Divers from Norfolk, Virginia, discovered her body tied to cinder blocks in 12 feet of water. Mrs. Jewett’s grandson was subsequently arrested and convicted of her murder.

Eastwood Lake is about one mile long and one of the few private lakes within the area, in addition to Lake Ellen and Lake Hogan. All three are man-made. The pristine Eastwood Lake offers canoing, kayaking and sailing.

Canoes and Boats on Eastwood Lake

Meadowmont Meadowmont, built in 1999, is an interconnected community that mirrors history with its narrow, tree-lined streets and old stone walls. The 435 acres of land used for the Meadowmont development was originally owned by the DuBose family, and the family’s entire estate originally encompassed 1,250 acres.

Meadowmont Village is home to numerous restaurants, retailers, a Harris Teeter grocery store, service providers and offices, all within walking distance. Enjoy a beautiful center fountain. Green space abounds in and around

Meadowmont, including: walking, jogging, hiking and biking trails, community parks, two playgrounds, ponds, the YMCA Meadowmont, UNC Hospital facility and the Meadowmont Swim Club.

“Meadowmont has been a wonderful community for our family because of its commitment to trails and parks, family gathering spaces and a charming market in the center of the neighborhood. We love that this community is located just minutes from UNC-Chapel Hill and Interstate 40 and we treasure the quiet beauty of this urban subdivision.”

—Resident Rosemary Waldorf:

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North Carolina Symphony performs on the Southern Village Town Green

Southern Village Southern Village, which celebrates 25 years in 2020, is patterned after early 20th century neighborhoods that were characterized by wide sidewalks, rear alleys and a corner grocery store that people could walk to. The development encompasses approximately 300 acres with 90 acres of that green space. The mixed used neighborhood has 1,150 residential units presenting single family, apartments, condos and townhomes. A green-way runs through Southern Village connecting

bike and pedestrian paths along Morgan Creek. A large community park with trails, playground equipment, sports fields and dog parks welcomes individuals, families and their pets. There is an elementary school.

Take a walk down Market Street. Here is the coffee shop, the ice cream parlor, the grocery, a beer joint, burger shop – all the iconic shops and services a small town offers – the essentials.

Meadowmont

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The Carrboro Farmers’ Market

relax, unwind, sit a spell on the lawn and just feel free to be you.

Carrboro was first settled in 1882 around a University of North Carolina railroad spur.

It was originally known as West End, due to its geographic location directly west of Chapel Hill.

Known for its progressive vibe, Carrboro is home to 21,000 and is filled with craft galleries, unique gift shops and indie music venues like the storied Cat’s Cradle. The ArtsCenter presents cutting-edge plays and exhibitions and the 40-year old Carrboro Farmers’ Market offers flowers, handmade pottery and baskets

Carrboro

alongside local and regional produce. Artsy coffee shops and laid-back farm-to-table restaurants are clustered on and around Main Street.

In Carrboro you’ll find craft breweries, a coffee roaster and longtime Fitch Lumber and Hardware, a tradition since 1923, and Surplus Sids, the quirky outpost stocking army surplus items, costumes, antiques & bric-a-brac since 1988.

Steel String Brewery

Weaver St Market Lawn

Acme Food And Beverage Co.

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The Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro

Pop Up Chorus at The ArtsCenter The Station

The Cat’s Cradle has been the Triangle’s premier live music venue for 50 years hosting bands as diverse as Nirvana, Public Enemy, John Mayer, Joan Baez, and Iggy Photo by Laura Williams

Pop. With a capacity of 750 people, the Cat’s Cradle allows concert-goers a chance to see established and up-and-coming bands alike in an intimate setting. The Cradle will continue to be part of the Carrboro landscape for years to come.

Other live music locations include The Station, Weaver

Lydia E. Lavelle, Mayor of Carrboro

Street Market Lawn, Johnny’s Gone Fishing, Oasis in Carr Mill Mall and 2nd Wind.

The ArtsCenter is a non-profit arts education center located in downtown Carrboro. The ArtsCenter includes a 350-seat theater, classrooms, a dance studio, a 100-seat performance space, and an art gallery.

Lydia E. Lavelle, mayor of Carrboro, and a professor of law at North Carolina Central University was first elected mayor in 2013, after serving on the Board of Aldermen of Carrboro for six years from 2007 to 2013. When she was elected, she became the first openly-lesbian mayor in North Carolina. She serves on the board of the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition and on the North Carolina Commission on Inclusion, to which she was

Photo by Alicia Stemper

appointed in 2018.

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“Shake Sugaree” with Jonathon Byrd, Johnny Waken and Austin McCall at The Kraken

The Kraken bar is located in Whitecross at the intersection of NC Highway 54 West and Dodsons Crossroads, just a few miles west of downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

“The Kraken has been there since I was a kid and I lived out in Western Orange County,” Photo by Sallie Scharding Design

says native and local musician Jonathan Byrd (pictured). “Today it has become a popular destination for music.”

White Cross, Dodsons Crossroads, Orange Grove and Bingham Township The West NC 54 area is a 20+ mile stretch between Old Fayetteville Road that helps thousands of vehicles reach work, schools, and stores every day.

It is also the site of Cane Creek Reservoir, which is about 8 miles west of Carrboro on the north side of NC 54 and offers boat rentals, fishing, a

The Barn at Valhalla

nature trail and picnic areas. This 540-acre reservoir is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30am - 6pm for public recreation from late March to midNovember.

White Cross, rural in character, is an area that is dotted with Carolina-T farmhouses – named for their distinctive T-shaped footprint – active organic farms such as the Eco Farm and the Perry-winkle Farm, as well as a number of equestrian facilities.

Fiesta Grill

Several tourism related venues have opened on this Western Corridor towards Alamance County, including Honeysuckle Tea House, The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm, The Barn at Valhalla and Fiesta Grill, a tiny Mexican restaurant that has won many awards for its authentic food and personalities.

Bingham Township is located just west of Carrboro, has impressive roots in academia, with nearby Bingham School, a classical school started by William Bingham in 1844, and known as the most expensive prep school

Honeysuckle Tea House

in the nation. An historical marker in Bingham Township pays tribute to Carl Thomas Durham, a Representative from North Carolina; born in Bingham Township, who was a graduate of the University of North Carolina; pharmacist and honorable NC political leader.

The headmaster’s home serves as the Inn at Bingham School Bed & Breakfast at the corner of Hwy 54 and Mebane Oaks Road.

WEST 54 CORRIDOR

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Photo by SP Murray

in Carrboro and I-85 in Graham. West 54 is a regionally significant roadway

LAVENDER OAKS FARM A unique farm where you can relax, learn, gather, celebrate and shop all things lavender.

LAVENDER OAKS FARM enchants and captivates visitors to experience the aromatic and aesthetic qualities of several lavender varieties and educates guests about the history and health benefits of this wonderful crop. Their two historic barns are over 100 years old with hand hewn oak and pine beams.

Lavender Oaks is also a special events and wedding venue.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Photo by Tina Fuller

WWW.LAVENDEROAKS.FARM

Hogan Farm

Old NC Hwy 86, which winds its way from Carrboro through Calvander to Waterstone, is a beautiful peaceful road with open vistas and

Here is the bucolic heart of the area, which is why this stretch is officially designated a N.C. Scenic Byway. There are few houses here. The blacktop

Rameses

winds and curves, as you pass fields and rolling hills, ponds and red barns,

UNC Athletics

gorgeous trees that burst with color when summer turns to autumn.

and black cows grazing that are all but oblivious to the growth around them.

This area retains the rural history and characteristics that made the county style, a mechanic shop that grows its own tomatoes, grass fed beef farmers and a landscape and mulch distributor, some say Calvander is the gateway to Hillsborough.

Calvander

At the crossroads to the left is Dairyland Road and to the right is Homestead

Photo by Alicia Stemper

and country great. Home to a gas station that serves hot dogs southern

Road. Off of Homestead and Old Hwy 86 Hillsborough Road is Lake Hogan Farm. This residential community was a successful dairy farm from 1930 to 1995.

The Hogan’s played a role in the development of the area and introduced others to the rural life, offering tours of their historic homestead and farm, teaching about farming and milking, giving hayrides and hosting visits with UNC’s woolly mascot, Rameses. Rameses has been in the care of the Hogan family since the introduction of the mascot in 1924.

Old 86/ Calvander

a crossroads to and from Hillsborough that became a destination itself

OLD 86 / CALVANDER

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Carrboro Farmers’ Market The 40-year old award-winning market is nationally recognized and used as a model for other markets. It makes its home at the Carrboro Town Commons next to Carrboro Town Hall. The market offers a diverse selection of produce, meat, baked goods, flowers and pottery. The year-round market is entirely farmer-run and hosts a number of special events throughout the year.

Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market The Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market was started in April 2008

by Farmers of Orange, a state non-profit organization created for local farmers by local farmers. All of their farmers and artisans live within 60 miles of Chapel Hill, NC and bring fresh quality produce, value-added farm products, and crafts to market year-round.

www.carrborofarmersmarket.com

www.thechapelhillfarmersmarket.com

Carrboro Town Commons 301 W. Main St, Carrboro

University Place 201 S. Estes Dr, Chapel Hill

APRIL - OCTOBER Saturdays 7am-noon Wednesdays 3pm-6pm

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FARMERS’ MARKETS

APRIL - NOVEMBER

Saturdays 8am-noon Tuesdays 3pm-6pm

DECEMBER - MARCH Saturdays 9am-noon

Eno River Farmers’ Market

Hillsborough Farmers’ Market

The Eno River Farmers’ Market is in downtown Hillsborough and offers farm fresh vegetables and fruit, cheese, pasture raised meat and eggs, wood fire baked goods, prepared foods and crafts from local growers and producers. Vendors must be local (within 60 miles of Hillsborough for traditional foods; within NC for specialty items such as peaches and apples) and the original producers of their products.

The Hillsborough Farmers Market, founded in 1987, is located in the parking lot of the UNC Healthcare Hillsborough campus in the southern part of town. Organizers are proud to provide you with fresh produce, baked goods, and handmade crafts from local, small, independent farms and businesses year round. The market is hopping with special events and guest vendors throughout the year.

www.enoriverfarmersmarket.com

www.hillsboroughfarmersmarket.org

144 East Margaret Lane Hillsborough

UNC Healthcare Hillsborough Campus 430 Waterstone Dr, Hillsborough

APRIL - NOVEMBER Saturdays 8am-noon

DECEMBER - MARCH Saturdays 10am-noon

APRIL - OCTOBER Saturdays 8am-noon

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Photo by Steven Paul Whitsitt

Last Friday on the Courthouse Lawn

a historical town that continues to create history Hillsborough is a small southern town filled with scenic beauty, history and graceful architecture spanning three centuries and a lively arts and culture scene.

Hillsborough was a center of political activity during the colonial and Revolutionary period. Several royal and elected governors lived here, as did a signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Hooper, whose house

Hillsborough remained a political and cultural center in the nineteenth century.

It was from temporary headquarters near town that General Joseph E. Johnston rode out to surrender the largest of the Confederate armies to General Sherman in 1865. The Alexander Dickson House where this took place, has since

Churton St.

Photo by SP Murray

still stands.

been moved into downtown Hillsborough and serves as the Hillsborough Visitors Center. Today, Hillsborough is still making history by building fabulous parks and greenways, being the location for great community events and home to award-winning chefs, artists, musicians, and writers. The downtown historic district — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — features more than 100 homes, churches, schools, and other structures from the late 18th and 19th centuries. Downtown Hillsborough is home to a variety of shops and boutiques.

Alexander Dickson House

Art Walk

Strayhorn Mural

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Photo by SP Murray

Hillsborough

The leadership of Mayor Tom Stevens has left an indelible mark on the town of Hillsborough Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens ended his role as Mayor of Hillsborough at the end of 2019, electing to not run for another term. Stevens was elected as mayor in 2005 and successfully ran for re-election six times. Many credit Mayor Tom Stevens for decisions that led to Hillsborough’s growth in the arts, building the Riverwalk, and popular tourism culture throughout town. Stevens is known for his personable demeanor that had him in the streets welcoming neighbors and visitors. In his address to citizens, Mayor Stevens said, “I love this town and will still be around. With a reduced role as a public official, I am looking forward to a greater presence as a local artist and business owner.”

The editors at the Orange County Neighborhoods Guide thank Mayor Tom Stevens for all he has done for Orange County and the Hillsborough community.

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MAPLE VIEW FARM Ice cream on the front porch of Maple View Farm Country Store overlooking the pastoral country-side is an Orange County summer tradition.

is a dairy, cattle and agricultural farm, sitting on 400 acres of land.

MAPLE

VIEW

FARM

If you like homemade ice cream, you should visit their Country Store, as it doesn’t get any better than this. They are open from noon9pm and offer twelve permanent flavors of ice cream, plus additional seasonal flavors, made from hormone-free, antibiotic-free milk and cream from their own dairy farm, within view across the road.

A cone of ice cream from the front porch of Maple View Farm Country Store is one of the Triangle’s most cherished treats.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

WWW.MAPLEVIEWFARM.COM

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West Hillsborough BBQ & Nash Street West Hillsborough has a distinctive historic fabric characterized by small mill houses on modest lots and narrow streets. If the ancient oaks could talk, we would hear the story of Hillsborough and its cloth mill, the Civil War that was fought around it, the founders and the folks who made this place home. West Hillsborough is telling a new story now. Today, new housing communities invite families to be a part of its history, as well as its future.

Also in West Hillsborough find Hillsborough BBQ and other popular restaurants, The Cloth Mill at Eno River, Gold Park and one of the access

Photo by Alicia Stemper

points to the popular Riverwalk.

Hillsborough BBQ

Photo by Alicia Stemper

Bee Hotel At Gold Park

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HILLSBOROUGH

Cloth Mill at Eno River

Solstice Lantern Walk

RIVERWALK Meandering along the stream in the heart of Hillsborough, the Riverwalk captures your heart with the spirit and history of the landscape.

RIVERWALK is a paved, accessible, urban greenway that stretches about 1.8 miles along the Eno River between Gold Park in western Hillsborough and trails east of town. It is a popular trail which opened in 2014 for walking, jogging and cycling, and provides pedestrian connections between several neighborhoods.

There are benches throughout the walk, some of them overlooking the river.

There are three primary access points with the main entrance by the Eno River Parking Deck at the end of Nash and Kollock Street, adjacent to the Gateway Center. Access is also available at the Gold Park located at 415 Dimmocks Mill Road and at the River Park located at 140 E. Margaret Lane behind the Orange County Justice Facility.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

WWW.HILLSBOROUGHNC.GOV/COMMUNITY/ RECREATION-FACILITIES/RIVERWALK

Orange County Historical Museum in Hillsborough

Hillsborough is a small town with a big history The downtown historic district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features more than 100 homes, churches and buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Here are a few of Hillsborough’s historic attractions. Today, Hillsborough is a haven for artists and writers. The downtown comes alive with arts and entertainment the last Friday evening of each month during warm weather.

The Inn at Teardrops

The Old Orange County Courthouse

The Inn at Teardrops’ name comes from the teardropshaped glass on the front doors and the molding around the eaves of the house. It was owned by Edmund Fanning until 1768. Today this bed and breakfast is owned by Tom Roberts.

The Inn At Teardrops

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An 1844 Greek-revival building designed and built by local builder John Berry. The courthouse is still in use for county judicial business.

The Old Orange County Courthouse

Margaret Lane Cemetery The Burwell School In 1835, Reverend Robert Burwell, his wife, Margaret Anna Burwell, and his two oldest children, moved into the home after the Hillsborough Presbyterian Church bought the property to serve as a parsonage. Living with them was their slave Elizabeth Keckly (then Hobbes), who would as a freed woman, be known for her association with First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Two years later, James Webb approached Mrs. Burwell and asked her to educate his daughters. She agreed, and opened a school for young ladies in her home. The school ran from 1837 to 1857.

Sometimes called the Old Slave Cemetery, it first appears in written records in 1885. It is believed that Peter Brown Ruffin, a landowner and employer to the west of Hillsborough, bought the two 1-acre lots that comprise the cemetery from the town in 1854 as a burial ground.

Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail Just outside Hillsborough, Occoneechee Speedway was one of the first two NASCAR tracks to open and is the only dirt track remaining from that inaugural season in 1949.

Today the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail (HOST) is a 3-mile walking trail located on 44 acres at the site of the former Speedway and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Montrose Garden

Photo by Tina Fuller

Montrose Garden, down the street from Ayr Mount on St. Mary’s Road, claims grounds that include several 19th century buildings, a rock garden, screen garden, several acres of woodland plantings, and large areas of sunny gardens. The gardens are open for tours from September – May.

Moorefields

Moorefields

Ayr Mount

Ayr Mount Ayr Mount is a Federal-era plantation house built in 1815 by William Kirkland. Kirkland named the house in honor of his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland. At the time of its construction at the end of the War of 1812, Ayr Mount was considered one of the finest residential structures in Piedmont North Carolina. The estate includes the 1-mile Poet’s Walk open to the public. Tours are available.

Moorefields was built in 1785 as a summer home by Alfred Moore, a Revolutionary military leader, founder of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and prominent jurist who ultimately served as the second and last North Carolinian on the United States Supreme Court. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 by Edward DraperSavage, an artist and UNC French professor. The 70 acres of woodlands and permanent pasture at Moorefields are currently maintained as a wildlife refuge.

Owned by the Moorefields Foundation, a tax-exempt nonprofit, the property is administered by the Friends of Moorefields and is open for scheduled use by groups and individuals.

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Photo by Sallie Scharding Design

Burwell School

Photo by SP Murray

Ben Lloyd at The Barn at Lloyd’s Dairy in Efland

Efland

into the nostalgic way of rural-life. Where

and

of

change and progress are found in Mebane

Hillsborough, is Efland. Efland-Cedar Grove

and Hillsborough, Efland is appropriately

Road has roadside and farm-based

deliberate. Community and fellowship

vegetable stands and the rolling hills of

thrive here, in the shadows of growth

Chestnut Ridge Church Road lull one

and hustle.

the

relaxed

acceleration

EFLAND RURITAN RODEO

Photo by Alicia Stemper

Located between the growth of Mebane

Photo by Alicia Stemper

just outside the city limits where the stars shine so bright

McAdams Farm

Photo by Wesley Broome

Churton Street is where it all happens— where arts, history and culture meld.

Since 1993, the Efland Ruritan Club at 3009 US Hwy 70 has hosted the Efland Ruritan Rodeo. During the first weekend each October, visitors experience Ranch Style Bronco Riding, Team Roping, Cowgirls Break-Away Roping, Calf Roping, Cowgirl Barrel Racing and of course Bull Riding. Visit eflandruritanclub.com

EFLAND

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Photo by Riley MacLean

The Barn of Chapel Hill

The incomparable charm of Orange County creates a dramatic backdrop for wedding ceremonies, receptions and other special events.

Merry Hill

Photo by Kasaundra Felder Photography

The focal point of this venue is a classic, white farmhouse.

On the top floor of the farmhouse is a beautiful bridal suite, complete with an incredible balcony. This venue includes a separate, small cottage for the groom’s quarters, horses, and peacocks, a bonfire pit, lily pond and thoughtful landscaping. Self-catering, beer/wine, & pets are all welcome at this venue. www.merryhillweddings.com

Rock Quarry Farm Windy Hill

Rock Quarry Farm is a stunning property complete with an old farmhouse, barn, & (Airbnb-able) cabin on NC Hwy 54 West. This rustic, outdoor wedding venue’s amenities include a fire pit, meadow (perfect for golden-hour portraits), parking, and dressing space. www.rockquarryfarm.com

The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm

Photo by SP Murray

The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm on Morrow Hill Road is one of the newest wedding venues to the area.

The historic, 19th-century barn has been restored into a stunning, bright space that feels rustic and modern all at once. In addition to the barn, the venue is equipped with a bridal suite, garden patio, and covered veranda.

Merry Hill

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WEDDING/EVENT VENUES

www.barnofchapelhill.com

The Barn at Lloyd’s Dairy The Barn at Lloyd’s Dairy is a wedding and event venue located in the heart of their 700 acre family farm located between the Triangle and Triad. The facilities feature their main barn with over 15,000 square feet of space under roof. There is a suite, restrooms and a new cooling system, lights and exterior enhancements. www.lloydsfarm.com

Windy Hill Farm Windy Hill Farm is an authentic, working farm wedding venue focusing on conservation and stewardship, located just minutes from historic Hillsborough on Carr Store Road in Cedar Grove. See an historic farmhouse with separate suites within for dressing and pampering before your wedding.

Rigmor House

Chapel Hill Carriage House Chapel Hill Carriage House on Jones Ferry Road is another venue to hold a DIY wedding. They don’t offer any allinclusive packages, but they do have all the necessities like tables, linens, dishware, chairs, & benches. They also offer parking, attendants, & a place for the bridal party to prep for the big day. The venue can accommodate up to 150 guests.

www.cedargrovewindyhillfarm.com

Rigmor House Rigmor House is a rustic, yet elegant wedding venue located in Chapel Hill on Hwy 54 West. It offers multiple indoor and outdoor meeting and conference sites, caterers have access to their full kitchen, and wireless Internet is available throughout. www.rigmorhouse.com

www.chcarriagehouse.com

The Barn at Valhalla is located on a 30 acre property on Duffy’s Way off of Hwy 54 West. Features of the venue include: a barn with a sleeping loft that can accommodate up to 18 guests, an outdoor hearth/ deck area, a lake, gazebo, and lodge (complete with a kitchen, another guest room, a bride & groom suite, grand piano, and Jacuzzi). The Barn at Valhalla allows you to bring in your own vendors, alcohol, and decorations. www.valhallabarn.com

Lloyd’s Dairy Farm

Snipes Farm Retreat is a very laid-back venue that is available to rent for the entire weekend of your wedding.

The space can accommodate intimate weddings of 20 guests or up to 120 seated guests. Snipes Farm Retreat on Jo Mac Road, allows you to use the caterers of your choice & rental of their venue includes use of the building, grounds, parking, and tables and chairs. snipesfarmretreat.com/

Moorefields

Carriage House

Moorefields’ 1785 house, formal gardens and extensive open space offer a sylvan canvas where a bride and groom may celebrate a wedding tailored to their unique specifications. Additionally, the expansive lawn is a beautiful setting for a family reunion or company party. https://moorefields.org/

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Photo by Kelly Sullivan Photography

Snipes Farm Retreat

Photo by Will Page Photography

The Barn at Valhalla

Photo by SP Murray

Left to right, Kether Smith, Deric McGuffey, Lyndon Smith and Amie Fields at Botanist and Barrel

Cedar Grove

rolling farmland, blueberries and fishing ponds hearken to days unchanged, yet, very present-day

Just 11 miles north and slightly west of Hillsborough, the existence of Cedar Grove as a community can be traced to around 1828.

The rolling farmland is laid out in fields and pastures delineated by tree lines, fences and two narrow main roads with their grassy verges – unchanged for the last sixty years. The essential character of the once-typical rural crossroads community still exists here. Cedar Grove is home to Boxcarr Farms and Boxcarr Handmade Cheese Boxcarr Handmade Cheese

which is inspired from small Italians farmstead creameries.

Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm/Botanist and Barrel Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm has 4 acres of Pick-Your-Own organic blueberries and is a family-owned farm located in rural, northern Orange County. They grow Certified Organic sweet berries for u-pick and a few local farmers markets. Visitors are encouraged to come out, revel in the outdoors, and most importantly enjoy a lot of blueberries during the summer picking season. There is a pond for fishing and picnic tables. You can also buy blueberry plants from their nursery.

Also on the farm, find the winery and cidery Botanist and Barrel. Founded in 2017 by brother and sister team and Orange County natives, Lyndon and Kether Smith. Botanist and Barrel and the B&B tasting room, which is open Thursday – Sunday, hosts events, tours and tastings. They craft natural ciders, sours and dry fruit wines and use only the finest southeasterngrown fruits, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches and apples.

Pick-Your-Own Blueberry Farm

The farm and winery/cider are located on Hwy. 86 N. at 105 Persimmon Lane, Cedar Grove.

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HURDLE MILLS & POLO FIELDS Anyone can learn to ride and play “the sport of kings” by taking polo lessons using one of their reliable polo ponies or on your own horse - no experience necessary

HURDLE MILLS was originally known as Daniel’s Mill, when the post office was established in 1846 with William Daniel as postmaster, and the original mill on the Flat River was built. In 1859, the name was changed to Hurdle’s Mill, when the mill was purchased by the Hurdle family. In 1892 the township was renamed Hurdle Mills.

This unincorporated community on NC Hwy 157 stretches from northern Orange County into southern Person County.

Hurdle Mills is also home to the Triangle Area Polo Club. The only polo club in the state of North Carolina, the Triangle Area Polo Club is familyoperated and welcoming to all and encourages every person with an interest in polo to give the sport a try.

Polo Club memberships are available to be able to participate in practices and tournaments.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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NEIGHBORHOODS OF ORANGE COUNTY

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Photo by Alicia Stemper

TRIANGLEAREAPOLO.COM

Photo by Alicia Stemper

Gathering at Schley Grange

Lake Orange / Schley

hidden gems of secluded retreats providing great escapes just minutes down the road

LAKE ORANGE is a 200+ acre lake and reservoir located just 5.7 miles from Hillsborough. There’s no shortage of things to do on a lake this size, including boating, fishing, sailing, and many other lake sports. Five local farmers donated over 200 acres of land to the county for the construction of Lake Orange, and in consideration of this “gift,” the county awarded recreational rights to “Lake Orange Inc.,” which was to be owned and operated

Today, Lake Orange is a thriving residential lake community, with its vitality linked solely to the beauty and pristine nature of the lake’s eco system.

SCHLEY (pronounced Sly) is an unincorporated community, in Orange

Lake Orange

County, southwest of Caldwell, and northeast of Hillsborough.

One of the main landmarks in the area is the Schley Grange Hall at the intersection of Hwy 57 and Schley Road.

Who – or what – is Schley Grange? It’s the local chapter of a state and national group that’s been supporting farming communities since 1867. With 200 active members, Schley Grange is the largest Grange in North Carolina. The Grange Hall is about 7 miles north of Hillsborough on NC 57.

The Grange meets the second Tuesday of every month for official business, and hosts events like the “Pickin & Grinnin” jam on Thursday nights and an occasional fundraising supper or breakfast.

LAKE ORANGE/SCHLEY

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Photo by Alicia Stemper

by the donating landowners.

facts & tidbits The county was named for the infant William V of Orange, whose mother Anne, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, was then regent of the Dutch Republic.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 401 square miles (1,040 km2), of which 398 square miles is land and 3.5 square miles (0.9%) is water.

As of 2017, population for Orange County North Carolina was 142,830.

The county seat is Hillsborough

Orange County is included in the Durham– Chapel Hill, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh– Durham–Chapel Hill, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had a 2017 estimated population of more than 2.15 million people.

The town of Chapel Hill is in the southeastern part of Orange County, as is Carrboro. Hillsborough is in the central part of the county.

ADJACENT COUNTIES: Person County – northeast

It is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the flagship institution of the University of North Carolina System and the oldest state-supported university in the United States.

Durham County – east Chatham County – south Alamance County – west Caswell County – northwest

For more information on Orange County, visit:

www.orangecountync.gov

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ORANGE COUNTY

ORANGE COUNTY

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Experience the splendor of Orange County on our many greenways, hiking and biking trails and more.

There’s nothing that gets your heart racing like zipping along a bike path under a canopy of trees, or the feeling of breathing in fresh Carolina air as you trek along through the elements. There are more than 40 parks and preserves to participate in hiking, walking, biking, fishing and more.

Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area

The Bolin Creek Trail connects the Community Center Park and the Battle Branch Trail. Battle Branch Trail heads Photo by The Town Of Chapel Hill

through Battle Park to the UNC Campus near Forest Theatre on Country Club Road, all covering about 3 miles.

Morgan Creek Trail, .85 mile long, connects to Merritt’s Pasture open space area and the Fan Branch Trail. Fan Bolin Creek Trail

Branch, 1.62 miles long, takes you down to Southern Community Park. There is parking off of Fordham Blvd. (Hwy 54) between Smith Level Road and Columbia Street and at the Community Park.

The Carolina North Forest, 750 acres of woodlands located

Photo by Alicia Stemper

on the University of North Carolina’s Carolina North campus, is known as the Horace Williams Tract. This tranquil natural oasis allows for a respite from the area’s ever-changing urban landscape.

Carrboro Bike Trail

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve contains three miles of great walking and hiking paths. Three miles of intimate hiking trails transverse this 296-acre sanctuary. Explore mature forests, discover historic mill sites and splash in bubbling creeks.

Runners in Orange County

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GREENWAYS

is a great place to start. It’s a short, asphalt-covered trail that connects Carrboro’s business district to the western part of Chapel Hill’s campus.

In Hillsborough you’ll want to hike through the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. Explore three miles of trails that twist and turn through thick forests, quiet ponds and elevated bluffs that provide picture-perfect views of

Photo by Triangle Land Conservancy

If you’re new to the cycling scene, the Libba Cotten Bikeway

Hillsborough.

Eno River State Park is a 4,312-acre North Carolina state park in Durham and Orange Counties, North Carolina.

Together with the adjoining West Point on the Eno city

Photo by Landon Bost

park, the two parks preserve over 14 miles of the Eno River and offer nearly 30 miles of trails along a swift, shallow stream that’s popular with anglers, photographers

The George and Julie Brumley Family Nature Preserve

and sightseers.

The George and Julia Brumley Family Nature Preserve is nestled two miles south of Hillsborough, between Old N.C. 10 and New Hope Church Road, and features more than four miles of streams and 20 acres of wetlands.

The 14.1 miles of trails — about 5.5 miles for hiking and the rest open to multi-use including mountain bikes — follow the contour of the land to prevent erosion. Most are easily navigated, although the bike trails offer some scrambles around rocky outcrops. The land houses old barns and the ruins of several home sites.

Biological surveys have documented at least 260 different species of flora and fauna, including beavers, bobcats, wild turkeys, muskrats, frogs, turtles and birds.

For information and to see a detailed trail map, visit Biking through Orange County

www.triangleland.org

Paperhand Puppets at Forest Theatre

There are dozens of visual arts venues,

pottery, jewelry and sculpture. Visit a local

performing

bookstore such as Flyleaf or Purple Crow and

arts

venues,

galleries

and

shops representing local artists, literary and storytelling venues, film venues, dance instruction, outdoor public art displays and live

while away the hours in area libraries.

Live music rocks at the Cat’s Cradle, the Cave,

music venues throughout the county.

Local 506, The Kraken, Hot Tin Roof and more.

From the Ackland Art Museum, Orange

Fridays on the Front Porch, Weaver Street

County Historical Museum to Memorial Hall,

Market, Southern Village Green and Carrboro

PlayMakers’ Repertory Company and The

Town Commons.

Near and Far Festival in Chapel Hill

Music happens on the lawns at Carolina Inn’s

ArtsCenter there are wonderful facilities to see world renowned performing art.

There’s art walks in all communities and

Galleries display local and regional paintings,

where you look.

colorful murals dotting the landscape every-

Take the Orange County Artists Guild Open Studio Tour in November, plus see art

FOR A FULL EVENT CALENDAR

sculptures big and small each Fall in the North

www.visitchapelhill.org

Carolina Botanical Garden.

N.C. Crafts Gallery in Carrboro

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THE ARTS

Photo by Steven Paul Whitsitt

Art, dance, music and more are an integral part of Orange Count­y’s unique cultural landscape.

Art Gallery Opening In Hillsborough

Photo by SP Murray

Photo by Sallie Scharding Design

Ackland Art Museum

Photo by Jeyhoun Allebaugh/UNC-Chapel Hill

Bluegrass Festival at Moorefields

Photo by Ken Huth

PlayMakers

Carrboro Music Festival

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Photo by Tina Fuller

Photo by Andrew Eccles

Alvin Ailey Comes to Memorial Hall

Downtown Hillsborough

A Distinctive Zest For Life

CHAPEL HILL • CARRBORO • HILLSBOROUGH including Photo by SP Murray

Cedar Grove • Calvander • White Cross • Efland • Lake Orange Lake Hogan Farms • Hurdle Mills • Old 86

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CARRBORO

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