UNC-CH Landmarks

As the nation's first state university, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was chartered in 1789 and opened to students in 1795. Carolina was the only public university to award degrees to students in the 18th century. Since those first few years, this special place of learning has blended its own traditions with those of the state.

	The Old Well -- At the heart of the campus stands the visual symbol of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For many years the Old Well served as the sole water supply for Old East and Old West dormitories. In 1897, the well was given its present decorative form at the direction of President Edwin A. Alderman, who described his beautification project as largely derived from the Temple of Love in the Garden of Versailles. In 1954 the well was given added beauty with brick walks, plantings, and benches. Students can bring good luck with a drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes.
	Davie Poplar -- This large tree marks the spot where, as legend has it, William R. Davie selected the site for the University in 1792. Since then the Davie Poplar has stood through all kinds of weather, including Hurricane Fran. Students still stop for a respite on the bench below the tree's great limbs.
	Old East -- The first building constructed to house America's first state university. The cornerstone was laid on October 12, 1793. Nearly a century later, October 12 was declared Carolina's birthday, or as it is better known, University Day. Old East was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. The building has been used as a dormitory throughout its history.
	Forest Theatre -- Outdoor drama was first performed in Battle Park in 1916 to celebrate the tercentenary of Shakespeare's death. W.C. Coker, faculty botanist who had developed the Arboretum nearby, chose the location. Several years later, when "Proff" Frederick Koch came to the University, the Battle Park location was developed into a permanent theatre. The Forest Theatre is dedicated to Koch, the founder of the original Carolina Playmakers and the father of folk drama in America. The theatre was rebuilt with WPA funds about 1940 to a plan of Albert Q. Bell, who designed outdoor theatres for historic dramas at Manteo, Cherokee and Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1948 it was improved to a plan by architect Paul Beidler. The theatre is frequently used for weddings, outdoor concerts, and other events.
	Playmakers Theatre -- The most beautiful building on the Carolina campus, to many tastes, is this Greek Revival temple considered to be one of the masterworks of New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis. He designed the building as an unlikely combination library and ballroom; later it was used for agricultural chemistry and law. For many years, it was the theatre of the Carolina Playmakers, who were largely responsible for developing folk drama in the United States. Instead of the acanthus leaves that usually ornament Corinthian capitals, Davis substituted wheat and Indian corn, in response to the aggressive Americanism then present in the country. Bricks for the building were provided by the Episcopal rector, who ran that business on the side. The building was named for Benjamin Smith, the University's first major donor. The structure was completed in 1851 and remodeled in 1924. A persistent but unsubstantiated campus legend has it that the horses of the Michigan Ninth Cavalry were stabled in the library after the Civil War. This stimulated the story that, since then, Michigan horses have been known for their intelligence and Carolina students for their horse sense. The Carolina Playmakers, founded by Professor Frederick Koch, launched alumni and associates into many branches of the arts. They include Thomas Wolfe, whose first love was playwrighting and who performed the title role in his student-written play The Return of Buck Gavin; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green; comedian Andy Griffith; band leader Kay Kyser; actor Sheppard Strudwick; and authors Richard Adler (Pajama Game and Damn Yankees), Betty Smith (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), and Frances Gray Patton (Good Morning, Miss Dove). The state department regularly sends theatrical leaders from all continents to visit and study in Chapel Hill.
	Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower -- Each hour of the day the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower rings to remind students and faculty of the generosity of two families associated with the University since its earliest days. John Motley Morehead, Class of 1891, first presented a proposal for a bell tower to University President Harry Woodburn Chase in the early 1920s. During the post-war building boom the University remodeled South Building, one of the school's oldest structures. Morehead offered to pay for a bell tower to be placed on top of the old building. The administration declined his offer, seeking to keep the historical integrity of the building. In 1926 campus officials drew up preliminary plans for what would become Wilson Library. Morehead thought that the roof of the building would be ideal for his bell tower. Louis Round Wilson, the University Librarian, had already decided that his building should be domed. Business giant and librarian faced off, and the former went elsewhere in search of bell tower space. When the University trustees decided to move the flagpole from McCorkle Place to Polk Place, Morehead suggested a bell tower, this time with Old Glory waving from its top. The administration again declined his offer. By this time Morehead had decided to enlarge his project and enlisted the aid of Rufus Lenoir Patterson II. Finally the University and the two families agreed on a site behind Wilson Library for the bell tower. Rising 172 feet, the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower is surrounded by a hedge and lawn designed by William C. Coker, botany professor and creator of the campus Arboretum. The tower's belfry once contained a carillon of twelve manually operated bells; now there are fourteen mechanized ones. The largest bell is inscribed "Governor John Motley Morehead," the tower creator's grandfather, and the second largest bears the name of William Lenoir. Both men played prominent roles in University and state history. Inside the porch-like structure at the tower's base, called the arcade, are plaques honoring other members of the two families. The University dedicated the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower on Thanksgiving Day, 1931. Following a speech on the University's history, the tower bells serenaded those gathered for the ceremony and the later football game. Among the songs played were "The Old North State, "Sweet Genevieve," (Genevieve was the name of Morehead's wife) and "How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours," a hymn with which Morehead's mother sang her ten children to sleep. After the concert, the dedicatory party ate a Thanksgiving meal on the arcade.
	The North Carolina Botanical Garden -- The Garden pursues four major themes: (1) plant diversity, (2) human dependence on plant diversity, (3) the need for conservation, and (4) research for solving modern problems and increasing human quality of life. The Garden is supported by the State of North Carolina and the Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc. The Garden's collection area, nature trails, Coker Arboretum, Mason Farm Biological Reserve and other lands comprise nearly 600 acres. The Garden has established itself as a regional center for research, conservation, and interpretation of plants, particularly those native to the southeastern United States, but also including those with special botanical and human interest. Visit the Botanical Garden.
	Coker Arboretum -- In 1903, Dr. William Chambers Coker, the University's first Professor of Botany and the first chair of the University Buildings and Grounds Committee, began developing a five-acre boggy pasture into an outdoor University classroom for the study of trees, shrubs, and vines native to North Carolina. Beginning in the 1920's and continuing through the 1940's, Dr. Coker added many East Asian trees and shrubs. These species, closely related counterparts to many North Carolina native plants, enhanced the beauty and educational value of the Arboretum. Examples of conifers and extensive displays of daffodils and daylilies are located here as well. The arboretum's main entrance off Cameron Avenue was reconstructed in 1998 -- a gift by the Class of 1997.
	Ackland Art Museum -- In 1948, William Hayes Ackland left a bequest to establish a university art museum in the South because there were few museums of any kind below the Mason-Dixon Line. The Ackland opened in 1958 on the campus of the first public university in the nation, UNC-Chapel Hill. Over four decades later, the Ackland still finds its greatest strength in using its university environment as a resource to engage both university and non-university audiences. The Ackland exists to bring people and works of art together. The Museum acquires, preserves, exhibits and interprets works of art to fulfill the University's mission. The Ackland advances the University's global reach through artistic and scholarly collaborations with national and international partners. The Museum's collection of over 15,000 objects includes the art of Asia, Africa, Europe and America, with works ranging from ancient times to the 21st century. Visit the Ackland.
	Unsung Founders Memorial The Unsung Founders Memorial graces the McCorkle Place lawn in front of the Alumni Building. Artist Do-Ho Suh created the memorial, which honors the men and women of color - enslaved and free - who helped build Carolina. The memorial was installed on May 11, 2005. Three-hundred figurines based on three larger bronze sculptures support the memorial, which is ringed by five stone seats. The central part of the memorial acts as a table and contains the inscription: “The Class of 2002 honors the University’s unsung founders the people of color bond and free who helped build the Carolina that we cherish today.”