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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!


PROGRAMS:
Our 2023 program series has concluded. Plans are underway for our 2024 program series and will be posted here when we have dates and topics.

See the Past Programs page for summaries and YouTube recordings of previous programs.

History of Hope Part 2 Exhibit Now Open!
Our exhibit, A History of Hope, Part 2, Chapel Hill and UNC, 1930 – 1980, is open and ready for you at the Orange County Historical Museum!   Also see our pop-up exhibit with selections from History of Hope Part 1 at the Seymour Center on Homestead Rd

Part 1 covered the very beginnings of Chapel Hill, the University, and our people from pre-1793 – 1928. Part 2 continues the story by exploring people and events that defined the decades from the 1930s through the 1970s in words, photos, videos and music. Some of the highlights of the exhibit include a World War II WAVES uniform, timeline of the Civil Rights Movement in Chapel Hill, and the number 1 hit song of 1974.

What’s New

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