Good Advertising: Historic Hillsborough, North Carolina

Day-tripping in the Tar Heel State

Alright fledglings, no matter where you live in the DMV, North Carolina isn't that far (please pipe down, you Northern Marylanders.) And Historic Hillsborough in particular—in all its 250-year splendor—offers plenty of history nerd stimulation. In other words, it's perfect for Quail Bell(e)s of all feathers. What's there to see, you ask? Why, there's all this:

The Alexander Dickson House (c. 1790) serves as the location for the Hillsborough Visitors Center. The site includes an antebellum farm office 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.

Ayr Mount is a hidden gem located off the Old Indian Trading Path. Home to merchant William Kirkland of Scotland, this 1815 house was restored in 1985 to its original splendor. Owned by Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, the property is laced with beautiful walking trails along the Eno River.

The Burwell School is a historic house museum. The Burwell School, from 1837-1857, was one of the earliest female academies in North Carolina and served as a refuge to the prominent Collins family during the Civil War. Today, writers like Lee Smith and Allan Gurganus come to read from their recently published works.

The Orange County Historical Museum is located on the site of the 1788 Constitutional Convention. The Museum houses and interprets a unique collection of artifacts and stories from Orange County.  

The House at Moorefields, three miles from downtown Hillsborough, was built in 1785 as a summer home by Alfred Moore, an educational leader and prominent justice who served as the second and last North Carolinian on the U.S. Supreme Court.

For a free copy of a brochure for Historic Hillsborough, or for more information on Hillsborough for the Holidays, call the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough at 919-732-7741 or visit VisitHillsboroughNC.com