Welcome to the Chapel Hill Historical Society!

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. Recent programs have included presentations on the University Woman's Club, Martin Luther King in Chapel Hill, and the restoration of the McCauley Cemetery.

Each year since 2008, the Society has identified Town Treasures - individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the community. These outstanding citizens are presented and honored at an awards ceremony with an exhibition of distinctive portraits and descriptive narratives of their service.

The Society has headquarters on the ground level of the Chapel Hill Public Library at 100 Library Drive. The public is invited to visit, explore maps and documents, and enjoy personal or historical research in bound volumes of The Chapel Hill News and the Chapel Hill Weekly from 1923 through 2010. There are a number of publications about local history for sale in our office and on our online bookstore, including Profiles of Chapel Hill Since 1900: People, Places, Events, by John Douglas Eyre, and The Campus at Chapel Hill, written in 1986 by John V. Allcott and re-issued in 2019 with an addendum by JJ Bauer.

Visit our Online Bookstore! Members receive a 10% discount. Use discount code MEMBERS!