Comments on: Chapel Hill’s Eagle Hotel

By: Ron Aldridge

Ron Aldridge — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:56:27 +0000

I wanted to correct something from the above. The Railroad Hotel wasn’t opened til 1858, so it did leave several years for Miss Nancy to have served “students at her new house” until moving to Burlington for evidently about 7 years, returning to CH in 1865.

By: Ron Aldridge

Ron Aldridge — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:40:41 +0000

A comment on the historical content at the top. In the April 1, 2013 edition of the Burlington Times News, there is a story about the Railroad Hotel, a sumptuous hotel that was built by the railroad company in Burlington, which was then merely called “Company Shops”, because it was a huge railroad center. Anyway, the hotel was built in the 1840′s (at twice the budgeted cost!) and Miss Nancy Hilliard, evidently well known for her great cooking, was hired to run the hotel. She excelled there, but came back to Chapel Hill in the early 1860′s. So if the Times/News article is correct, then she did not sell the Eagle Hotel and continue serving students at her new house as the above states. Just fyi.

By: Jason Tomberlin

Jason Tomberlin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:17:21 +0000

Rick: The image in question is credited to the North Carolina Collection, so the best thing to do is to email us at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu. Our reference staff will take a look at it and get back to you soon. [I've got your email address from you comment, so no need to do it for this one! We'll be in touch regarding the image.]

By: Rick Saunders

Rick Saunders — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:41:09 +0000

How can I get a copy of picture of ancestor Richard Saunders on page 55 of Chapel Hill an Illustrated History?

By: Jack Hilliard

Jack Hilliard — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:29:32 +0000

Archibald Henderson, in his 1949 book, “The Campus of the First State University,” says that the Eagle Hotel Annex was built “for the express purpose of entertaining and accommodating President (James K.) Polk and his cortege.” The President visited the campus for the 1847 commencement ceremonies. The plate over the door reads: “Erected To Receive Pres. Polk On The Occasion of His Visit To His Alma Mater.” (Pages 95-96)

The photograph that Elizabeth describes has often been published in history books relating to Chapel Hill and UNC.

“The First State University” by William S. Powell (Third Edition, 1992) Page 66

“The University’s Living Room: A History of the Carolina Inn” by Kenneth Joel Zogry (1999) Page 14

“A Pictorial History of Chapel Hill” by Steven Stolpen (1978) Page 31 (The picture in this book identifies the woman in the doorway as Miss Nancy Hilliard.)

Henderson adds, “At the Eagle Hotel. for years, board was usually $8 per month…” (Page 175)

By: Elizabeth Hull

Elizabeth Hull — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:08:15 +0000

There’s a photo of the Eagle Hotel Annex in the Kemp Battle Photo Album (http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb4215785) — it’s digitized and available through DocSouth’s “First Century of the First State University” at http://docsouth.unc.edu/unc/display_images/hotel.html.
The woman in the photo is unidentified — perhaps Nancy Hilliard? (Though the album is dated 1892, many of the photos in it are earlier).