Discover Historic
HILLSBOROUGH
Hillsborough For hundreds of years prior to English settlement, the Native American tribe called the Occaneechi lived in this area. In 1754, where the Great Indian Trading Path crosses the Eno River, the Town of Hillsborough was established. Today visitors are greeted by the clock tower of the “old” Orange County Courthouse (1844), designed and built by Hillsborough’s own John Berry.
key PARKING DICKSON MUSEUM BURWELL AYR MOUNT MOOREFIELDS
Hillsborough is significant in North Carolina and American history. The historical
Location
markers lining Churton Street document many of those noteworthy events. In
Hillsborough is ideally located only minutes away from Chapel Hill (home to the University of North Carolina), and Durham (home to Duke University). It is the county seat for Orange County, which includes Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Interstates 40 and 85 are just a few of miles from downtown. Park your car and wander around this charming, vibrant community.
1771, six Regulators were hanged near downtown. They were predecessors to several resident Patriots, including William Hooper, signer of the Declaration of Independence. The North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1778 was held in Hillsborough. Steadfast delegates voted against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution until a Bill of Rights was added. As you explore this unique town, take time to recall life through the eyes of Native Americans, school children, farmers, young lawyers, enslaved Africans, or passersby on the Trading Path.
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Hillsborough Visitors Center AT THE ALEXANDER DICKSON HOUSE 150 E. King Street 919-732-7741 www.visithillsboroughnc.com
The Alexander Dickson House (ca 1790) and its farm office were moved to downtown Hillsborough in 1982. In its original location on the Dickson farm outside Hillsborough, the office was used by Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston before he surrendered his troops to Union General William T. Sherman at nearby Durham Station in April 1865. Johnston’s surrender was the largest surrender of the Civil War. The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough operates the site as Hillsborough’s Visitors Center, offering maps, brochures, information on guided and self-guided tours, and a gift shop. The Alexander Dickson House also serves as a focal point for walking tours, living history days, an annual Holiday Home Tour, and the biannual Hillsborough Garden Tour. The Visitors Center is open Monday through Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 12pm to 4pm.
Ayr Mount 376 St. Mary’s Road 919-732-6886 www.classicalamericanhomes.org
Ayr Mount is a hidden gem located off the Old Indian Trading Path. Plantation home to merchant William Kirkland of Ayr, Scotland, this 1815 house was meticulously restored to its original splendor. Guided tours highlight family stories, area history, plus the extraordinary architecture. Interiors include portraits by Ezra Ames and Jacob Marling along with museum-quality furniture and decorative arts by luminaries such as Duncan Phyfe, Charles-HonorĂŠ Lannuier, and Waterford. Owned by Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, this is an enjoyable and interesting visit for all. Guided tour schedule: Wednesday at 11am; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 11am and 2pm; Sunday at 2pm. Open by appointment only December 21 through March 20. Fee.
Burwell School HISTORIC SITE 319 N. Churton Street 919-732-7451 www.burwellschool.org
This early female academy was operated from 1837–1857 by the Reverend and Mrs. Robert (Anna) Burwell. Burwell family members went on to lead other women’s academies, two of which are colleges today. Elizabeth Keckley, seamstress and confidant to Mary Todd Lincoln, was an enslaved servant here in the late 1830s. The house was a Civil War refuge for the prominent Collins family, when it was locally called “The Beehive.” Maintained by the Historic Hillsborough Commission, this house museum offers free tours and exhibits, plus engaging and innovative programs for all ages. Open Wednesday through Saturday 11am to 4pm and Sunday 1pm to 4pm (closed in January).
HISTORIC
Moorefields 2201 Moorefields Road 919-732-4941 www.moorefields.org
Moorefields was built in 1785 as a summer home by Alfred Moore, a Patriot officer, an educational leader and prominent jurist who served as the second and last North Carolinian on the U.S. Supreme Court. The house at Moorefields is located three miles from downtown Hillsborough. The property is maintained as a wildlife refuge and abuts Orange County’s 300-acre Seven Mile Creek Nature Preserve. Primitive campsites are available at Moorefields, and the property can be rented for weddings and other functions. Located at 2201 Moorefields Road in Hillsborough, Moorefields is open by appointment only.
ORANGE COUNTY
Historical Museum 201 N. Churton Street 919-732-2201 www.orangenchistory.org
Bringing Orange County history and people together, the Museum is open free to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays 11am to 4pm and Sundays 1pm to 4pm. The Museum observes winter hours in January and opens Tuesday through Sunday from 1pm to 4pm. Located on the site of the 1788 Constitutional Convention, the Museum houses and interprets a unique collection of artifacts and stories from Orange County, North Carolina. The Museum’s gift shop offers a variety of historical and local Orange County items.
For information about tours and events at these historic sites, please contact the properties directly. For more information about Hillsborough, please contact the Visitors Center at: 150 E King St, Hillsborough, NC 27278 | 919-732-7741 office@historichillsborough.org | www.visithillsboroughnc.com/ahh