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Hillsborough North Carolina is a small town with a huge footprint in American history! The picturesque town of Hillsborough, once a treasured secret, has recently been rediscovered for its beauty, locale, and historical ties. Various buildings that date back to the late 1700s are still located in Hillsborough's downtown area, which itself is a designated
National Historic District. Having maintained the community's rich heritage, residents reap the benefits of small town life in the vicinity of a booming metropolis.
English colonists founded Hillsborough in 1754 where the
Great Indian Trading Path crossed the
Eno River. By the late 1760s, the town was at the center of the
Regulator Movement, which challenged the local Colonial government. When the colonies decided to break from England, a town resident named William Hooper signed the
Declaration of Independence. During the war that ensued, the British army briefly occupied the town and fought skirmishes in the surrounding area. After the war, prominent citizens gathered in Hillsborough for the
Constitutional Convention of 1788 to determine the course of the new nation. Less than a century later, another armed conflict involved Hillsborough; leaders of the last great Confederate army camped in the town and discussed surrender in 1865. Their decision to lay down arms essentially ended the most tragic chapter in American history.
With the help of the town's historical preservation organizations, as well as several lifelong residents, author Chris Holaday has assembled this photographic journey, which includes many rare images, to celebrate nearly 250 years of Hillsborough history.
About the author
Writer Chris Holaday, author of Baseball in North Carolina's Piedmont, has long been interested in the singular history of Hillsborough. With the help of the town's historical preservation organizations, as well as several lifelong residents, he has assembled this photographic journey, which includes many rare images, to celebrate nearly 250 years of Hillsborough history.
