Hillsborough, North Carolina
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The town of Hillsborough is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Orange County, North Carolina Orange County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 148,696. Its county seat is Hillsborough. Orange County is included in the Durham–Chapel Hill, NC Metrop ...
, United States and is located along the
Eno River The Eno River, named for the Eno Native Americans who once lived along its banks, is the initial tributary of the Neuse River in North Carolina, United States. Descendants of European immigrants settled along the Eno River in the latter 1740s and ...
. The population was 6,087 in 2010, but it grew rapidly to 9,660 by 2020. Its name was unofficially shortened to "Hillsboro" during the 19th century. In the late 1960s, residents voted to change the name back to its original, historic spelling.


History


Native American history

Local Native American groups had lived in the Hillsborough area for thousands of years by the time Spanish explorers entered the region. The
Great Indian Trading Path Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...
, used by generations of Native Americans, crossed the Eno River in this area. Historic
Siouan Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east. Name Authors who call the entire ...
-language tribes such as the
Occaneechi The Occaneechi (also Occoneechee and Akenatzy) are Native Americans who lived in the 17th century primarily on the large, long Occoneechee Island and east of the confluence of the Dan and Roanoke rivers, near current-day Clarksville, Virginia. ...
and the
Eno Eno may refer to: Music * English National Opera, London * ''Eno'', an album by Japanese band Polysics * "Eno", a song by X-Wife from '' Rockin' Rio EP'' Organisations and businesses * Eno (company), a Chinese clothing and accessories busine ...
were living in the Hillsborough area at the time of European contact. The English explorer John Lawson recorded visiting "Occaneechi Town" here when he traveled through North Carolina in 1701. The tribes suffered high losses due to new infectious diseases and conflicts with settlers; most of the survivors were eventually pushed out of their territory by British and other European settlers. English settlers developed Hillsborough at the site of the former Occaneechi village along the Eno River. In the early 18th century, the Occaneechi left Hillsborough for
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, though they returned to the area around 1780. In the 1980s, an archaeological team from UNC-Chapel Hill excavated an historic Occaneechi farming village in this area. A replica of an Occaneechi village was built close to their original site of settlement near the
Eno River The Eno River, named for the Eno Native Americans who once lived along its banks, is the initial tributary of the Neuse River in North Carolina, United States. Descendants of European immigrants settled along the Eno River in the latter 1740s and ...
.


Colonial period and Revolutionary War

Hillsborough was founded in 1754 and was first owned, surveyed, and mapped by
William Churton William Churton (died December 1767) was an early North Carolina surveyor. Biography He moved to Great Britain's North American colonies in about 1749 as a surveyor and cartographer for the Granville District which included all of North Carolina n ...
(a
surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
for
Earl Granville Earl Granville is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is now held by members of the Leveson-Gower family. First creation The first creation came in the Pee ...
). Originally to be named Orange, it was first named Corbin Town (for Francis Corbin, a member of the governor's council and one of Granville's land agents). It was renamed in 1759 as Childsburgh (in honor of Thomas Child, the attorney general for North Carolina from 1751 to 1760 and another of Granville's land agents). It was not until 1766 that it was named Hillsborough, after Wills Hill, then the
Earl of Hillsborough Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
, the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
secretary of state for the colonies, and a relative of royal Governor
William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...
. Hillsborough was an early
Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
colonial town where court was held, and was the scene of some pre- Revolutionary War tensions. In the late 1760s, tensions between Piedmont farmers and county officers arose in the
Regulator movement The Regulator Movement, also known as the Regulator Insurrection, War of Regulation, and War of the Regulation, was an uprising in Province of North Carolina, Provincial North Carolina from 1766 to 1771 in which citizens took up arms against colo ...
, which had its strongest support in Hillsborough. With specie scarce, many inland farmers found themselves unable to pay their
taxes A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or ...
and resented the consequent seizure of their property. Local sheriffs sometimes kept taxes for their own gain and sometimes charged twice for the same tax. Governor
William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...
's conspicuous consumption in the construction of a new governor's mansion at
New Bern New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...
exacerbated the movement's resentment. As the western districts were under-represented in the colonial legislature, farmers had difficulty gaining redress from the
legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...
. Ultimately, the frustrated farmers took to arms and closed the court in Hillsborough, dragging those they considered corrupt officials through the streets. Tryon and North Carolina
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
troops marched to the region and defeated the Regulators at the
Battle of Alamance The Battle of Alamance, which took place on May 16, 1771, was the final battle of the Regulator Movement, a rebellion in Province of North Carolina, colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control, considered by some to be the ...
in May 1771. Several trials were held after the war, resulting in the hanging of six Regulators at Hillsborough on June 19, 1771. The
North Carolina Provincial Congress The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government. There were five congresses. They ...
met in Hillsborough from August 20–September 10, 1775, at the outset of the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. The
North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...
met here in 1778, 1782, and 1783. The town was also the site of the first North Carolina ratifying convention, which met July 21–August 2, 1788 to deliberate and determine whether or not to
ratify Ratification is a principal's approval of an act of its agent that lacked the authority to bind the principal legally. Ratification defines the international act in which a state indicates its consent to be bound to a treaty if the parties inten ...
the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...
recommended to the states by the Constitutional Convention held in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
the previous summer. With the hope of effecting the incorporation of a
Bill of Rights A bill of rights, sometimes called a declaration of rights or a charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public officials and pri ...
into the frame of government, delegates voted (184–84) to neither ratify nor reject the Constitution. During the
bicentennial __NOTOC__ A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to: Europe *French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...
celebration of the writing and ratification of the Constitution, a historical marker was placed at the site (now the Hillsborough Presbyterian Church) commemorating the convention.
William Hooper William Hooper (June 28, 1742 October 14, 1790) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, and politician. As a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina, Hooper signed the Continental Association and the Declaration of I ...
, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
, was buried in the Presbyterian Church cemetery in October 1790. However, his remains were later reinterred at Guilford Court House Military Battlefield. His original gravestone remains in the town cemetery.


Antebellum period and American Civil War

Robert and Margaret Anna (née Robertson) Burwell ran a girl's academy called the
Burwell School The Burwell School is an American historic site and former school, located in Hillsborough, North Carolina. It is owned and operated by the Historic Hillsborough Commission, Inc., a North Carolina 501 (c) (3). The site is listed on the National ...
from 1837 to 1857 in their home on Churton Street. When the Civil War began, Hillsborough residents were reluctant to support secession, but many men went off to fight for the Confederacy. In March 1865, Confederate General
Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...
wintered just outside Hillsborough at the large Dickson home. In the early 1980s this house was moved downtown in order to preserve it from commercial development; it now serves as the Hillsborough Welcome Center. The main portion of the Confederate Army of Tennessee was encamped around
Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
. After sweeping through the South on his March to the Sea, Union General
William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
camped in
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
. He offered an armistice to Johnston, who agreed to meet to discuss terms of surrender. Johnston, traveling east from Hillsborough, and Sherman, traveling west from Raleigh along the Hillsborough-Raleigh Road, met approximately halfway near present-day Durham (then Durham Station) at the home of James and Nancy Bennett. This farmhouse is now known as
Bennett Place Bennett Place is a former farm and homestead in Durham, North Carolina, which was the site of the last surrender of a major Confederate army in the American Civil War, when Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to William T. Sherman. The first meetin ...
. The two generals met three times on April 17, 18, and finally on April 26, when they agreed on the final terms of surrender. Johnston surrendered 89,270 Southern troops who were still active in North Carolina,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, Georgia, and
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. This was the largest surrender of troops during the war, and effectively ended the conflict.


Historic sites

There are numerous historical sites to visit in Hillsborough, including some dating to the late eighteenth century. More than 100 surviving late eighteenth and nineteenth-century structures help illustrate its history of prominence in the early period of the state. In addition, numerous secondary buildings, bridges, mill sites and dams along the Eno River document the local history. Native American relics have been recovered from the sites of ancient villages thousands of years old.


Alexander Dickson House

The Hillsborough Visitors Center operates from this late-18th century Quaker-plan house. It was moved from its original location southeast of Hillsborough to its present location in the historic district. The site includes an office used by Confederate Gen.
Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...
.


Old Orange County Courthouse

The Old Orange County Courthouse is an 1844 Greek-revival building designed and built by local builder John Berry. The courthouse is still used for county judicial business.


Ayr Mount

Ayr Mount Ayr Mount is a Federal style plantation house located east of Hillsborough, in Orange County, North Carolina, the United States of America. In 1799, William Kirkland (born in Ayr, Scotland) bought east of Hillsborough. Circa 1815, he had a ho ...
is an 1815 Federal-era plantation house, restored and furnished with period antiques and fine art. The estate includes the -long Poet's Walk.


Green Hill

Green Hill is a 1750 Federal-style plantation house.


The Inn at Teardrops

The name comes from the teardrop-shaped glass on the front doors and the molding around the eaves of the house. It was owned by Edmund Fanning until 1768, when he sold it to Thomas King, an inn keeper. The main body of the present structure is probably King's old inn. Notable eighteenth-century owners include General Thomas Person, Peter Malett, William Duffy, and John Taylor, who was clerk of the Superior Court from 1800 to 1845. In 1938, the J.W. Richmond family bought the property and renovated the house as a private residence. After additional renovations, Richmond adapted it as 'The Inn at Teardrops', a
bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...
.


Margaret Lane Cemetery

Margaret Lane Cemetery, sometimes called the Old Slave Cemetery, first appears in written records in 1885. It is believed that Peter Brown Ruffin, a landowner and employer to the west of Hillsborough, bought the two lots that comprise the cemetery from the town in 1854 to use as a burial ground.


Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail

Occoneechee Speedway Occoneechee Speedway was one of the first two NASCAR tracks to open. It closed in 1968 and is the only dirt track remaining from the inaugural 1949 season. It is located just outside the town of Hillsborough, North Carolina. Site history Occon ...
, just outside Hillsborough, was one of the first two
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
tracks to open in 1949. The track was made up of dirt. It is one of two tracks remaining from that inaugural season,
Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, just south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in s ...
being the other. Today, the site has been preserved as a trail. The Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail (HOST) is a -trail located on at the site of the former Speedway. Bill France and the early founders of NASCAR bought land to build a oval track at Hillsborough, but opposition from local religious leaders prevented the track from being built in the town. Instead, NASCAR officials moved their project to Alabama, where they built the large
Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “'Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) from 1969 to 1989, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base ...
in Talladega.


Poplar Hill

A former plantation house once owned by Julian Carr named Poplar Hill is located in the town's historic district.


National Register of Historic Places

Numerous other properties in Hillsborough are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include the Bellevue Manufacturing Company,
Burwell School The Burwell School is an American historic site and former school, located in Hillsborough, North Carolina. It is owned and operated by the Historic Hillsborough Commission, Inc., a North Carolina 501 (c) (3). The site is listed on the National ...
,
Cabe-Pratt-Harris House Cabe-Pratt-Harris House, also known as Riverland Farm, is a historic home located near Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. It was built about 1820, and is a -story, Late Georgian style frame dwelling with a gable roof. It sits on a r ...
, Commandant's House,
Eagle Lodge Eagle Lodge is a historic Masonic lodge building located at Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. It was built in 1823, and two-story, three bay, square brick building in the Greek Revival style. It has a low hipped roof with heavy box c ...
, Eno Cotton Mill,
Faucett Mill and House Faucett Mill and House, also known as Coach House and Chatwood, is a historic grist mill, home, and national historic district located near Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. The mill was built before 1792, and is a -story, heavy timb ...
,
Hazel-Nash House Hazel-Nash House, also known as the Hasell-Nash House, is a historic home located at Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. It was built about 1820, and consists of a two-story, three bay, pedimented central block flanked by a pair of ped ...
,
Heartsease ''Viola tricolor'' is a common European wild flower, growing as an annual or short-lived perennial. The species is also known as wild pansy, Johnny Jump up (though this name is also applied to similar species such as the yellow pansy), heartsea ...
, Holden-Roberts Farm, Jacob Jackson Farm, Montrose, Moorefields, Murphey School,
Nash Law Office Nash Law Office is a historic office building located at Hillsborough, North Carolina, Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. It was built in 1801, and is a small one-story, frame building with a gable roof and low brick foundation. It has ...
,
Nash-Hooper House The Nash-Hooper House, also known as the William Hooper House, is a historic house at 118 West Tryon Street in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Built in 1772 by American Revolutionary War general Francis Nash, it was home from 1782–1790 to Found ...
, Rigsbee's Rock House,
Ruffin-Roulhac House Ruffin-Roulhac House, also known as Little Hawfields, is a historic home located at Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, United States. It was built about 1820, and is a -story, five bay, frame dwelling including a two-room addition bui ...
, Sans Souci, St. Mary's Chapel, and
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and Churchyard St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and Churchyard is a historic Episcopal church located on St. Mary's Road, Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. The first three bays of the Gothic Revival-style brick church were built between 1825 and 1826, ...
. The
Hillsborough Historic District Hillsborough Historic District is a national historic district located at Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 529 contributing buildings, 9 contributing sites, 13 contributing structures, and 2 contributing obj ...
is also listed on the NRHP.


Geography

Hillsborough is located along the
Eno River The Eno River, named for the Eno Native Americans who once lived along its banks, is the initial tributary of the Neuse River in North Carolina, United States. Descendants of European immigrants settled along the Eno River in the latter 1740s and ...
. The town government has constructed the Riverwalk along the river—a paved, accessible, urban greenway that stretches approximately two miles, connecting the trail system in the
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area is a North Carolina state park in Orange County, North Carolina in the United States. Located adjacent to the town of Hillsborough, it covers and includes Occoneechee Mountain, the highest point (867 f ...
to trails on the
Ayr Mount Ayr Mount is a Federal style plantation house located east of Hillsborough, in Orange County, North Carolina, the United States of America. In 1799, William Kirkland (born in Ayr, Scotland) bought east of Hillsborough. Circa 1815, he had a ho ...
property and the
Occoneechee Speedway Occoneechee Speedway was one of the first two NASCAR tracks to open. It closed in 1968 and is the only dirt track remaining from the inaugural 1949 season. It is located just outside the town of Hillsborough, North Carolina. Site history Occon ...
trail. The Riverwalk is part of the
Mountains-to-Sea Trail The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail (MST) is a long-distance trail for hiking and backpacking, that traverses North Carolina from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. The trail's western endpoint is at Clingman's Dome, where it connects t ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.22% is water. The architecture of nearby
Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
incorporates the stone from the local Hillsborough Quarry. Now sometimes referred to as the Duke Stone, it is included in the design of almost every building on
Duke University West Campus West Campus is part of Duke University's campus in Durham, North Carolina. West Campus, along with East Campus, make up most of Duke's main campus. The campus follows the Collegiate Gothic architecture style, inspired by the mid-18th century Goth ...
which was originally designed by architect
Julian Abele Julian Francis Abele (April 30, 1881April 23, 1950) was a prominent Black American architect, and chief designer in the offices of Horace Trumbauer. He contributed to the design of more than 400 buildings, including the Widener Memorial Library at ...
.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 9,660 people, 2,739 households, and 1,668 families residing in the town.


2000 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 5,446 people, 2,101 households, and 1,428 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,188.7 people per square mile (459.1/km2). There were 2,329 housing units at an average density of 508.3 per square mile (196.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 60.26%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 34.83%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.51% Native American, 0.57%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 1.62% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.20% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.79% of the population. There were 2,101 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.99. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,111, and the median income for a family was $46,793. Males had a median income of $36,636 versus $29,052 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the town was $21,818. About 11.0% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture


Art galleries and museums

* Eno Gallery - Contemporary Fine Art Gallery. * Hillsborough Gallery of Arts - Artists cooperative gallery. * Hillsborough Arts Council Gallery * Orange County Historical Museum - Chartered in 1956 to preserve and interpret the history of Hillsborough and Orange County. Hillsborough is also home to the internationally recognized arts nonprofit organisation, the Music Maker Relief Foundation


Education

Hillsborough is part of the Orange County School District, which includes River Park Elementary, Efland Cheeks Elementary, Grady A. Brown Elementary, New Hope Elementary, Pathways Elementary, Central Elementary and Hillsborough Elementary Schools (K-5), A.L. Stanback Middle School, Orange Middle School, Gravelly Hill Middle School, Cedar Ridge High School, and Orange High School. Durham Technical Community College also has an Orange County campus in Hillsborough.


Notable people

For its size, Hillsborough has a high concentration of residents who are nationally known artists and authors, including
Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of: Arts, entertainment and media *Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction *Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor *Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer *Lee Smith ...
,
Jill McCorkle Jill Collins McCorkle (July 7, 1958 Lumberton, North Carolina) is an American short story writer and novelist. She graduated from University of North Carolina, in 1980, where she studied with Max Steele, Lee Smith, and Louis D. Rubin. She als ...
,
Allan Gurganus Allan may refer to: People * Allan (name), a given name and surname, including list of people and characters with this name * Allan (footballer, born 1984) (Allan Barreto da Silva), Brazilian football striker * Allan (footballer, born 1989) ( ...
, Michael Malone,
Annie Dillard Annie Dillard (born April 30, 1945) is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both fiction and non-fiction. She has published works of poetry, essays, prose, and literary criticism, as well as two novels and one memoir. Her 19 ...
,
Hal Crowther Hal Crowther (born 1945) is an American journalist and essayist. Biography His essays have been published in many anthologies, including ''Novello: Ten Years of Great American Writing'' (2000). "Dealer's Choice," Crowther's column on southern let ...
,
Frances Mayes Frances Mayes is an American novelist. Her 1996 memoir '' Under the Tuscan Sun.'' was on the New York Times Best Seller list for over two years and was the basis for the film '' Under the Tuscan Sun''. Biography Born and raised in Fitzgerald, Geor ...
, and David Payne. *
George B. Anderson George Burgwyn Anderson (April 12, 1831 – October 17, 1862) was a career military officer, serving first in the antebellum U.S. Army and then dying from wounds inflicted during the American Civil War while a general officer in the Confede ...
(1831–1862), Civil War Confederate general, killed at the
Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...
* Thomas Hart Benton (1782–1858), U.S. Missouri Senator known as "Old Bullion" was born near Hillsborough. One of the early champions of westward expansion that would become known as Manifest Destiny. * Armistead Burwell (1839–1913), associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1892 to 1894 *
Kizzmekia Corbett Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett (born January 26, 1986) is an American viral Immunology, immunologist. She is an Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Shutzer Assistant ...
(born 1986), Senior Research Fellow and Scientific Lead on the Coronavirus Vaccines & Immunopathogenesis Team at the
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
*
Margaret Mordecai Jones Cruikshank Margaret Mordecai Cruikshank (''née'' Jones; October 13, 1878 – December 26, 1955) was an American schoolteacher and college president. She served as the president of the Columbia Institute in Tennessee from 1922 to 1932 and as the president of ...
(1878–1955), first female president of St. Mary's Junior College *
Annie Dillard Annie Dillard (born April 30, 1945) is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both fiction and non-fiction. She has published works of poetry, essays, prose, and literary criticism, as well as two novels and one memoir. Her 19 ...
(born 1945), author *
Allan Gurganus Allan may refer to: People * Allan (name), a given name and surname, including list of people and characters with this name * Allan (footballer, born 1984) (Allan Barreto da Silva), Brazilian football striker * Allan (footballer, born 1989) ( ...
(born 1947), author of ''
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All ''Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All'' is a 1989 first novel by Allan GurganusReed, Susan and Hutchings, Davi"He's 42, She's 99—Together They Make the South Rise Again"''People Magazine'', September 18, 1989 which was on the New York Times ...
'' *
William Hooper William Hooper (June 28, 1742 October 14, 1790) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, and politician. As a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina, Hooper signed the Continental Association and the Declaration of I ...
(1742–1790), lawyer and politician who signed the United States Declaration of Independence for North Carolina * Michelle Jin (born 1974), professional bodybuilder *
Elizabeth Keckley Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (February 1818 – May 1907) was an American seamstress, activist, and writer who lived in Washington, D.C. She was best known as the personal dressmaker and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln. Born into slavery, she was ow ...
(1818–1907), dressmaker and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln and enslaved in the Burwell Household * Michael Malone, Edgar Award-winning novelist and
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
-winning soap opera writer *
Doug Marlette Douglas Nigel Marlette (December 6, 1949 – July 10, 2007) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American editorial cartoonist who, at the time of his death, had also published two novels and was "finding his voice in writing long-length fiction."
(1949–2007), cartoonist and author, maintained a home in Hillsborough and was buried there *
Elizabeth Matheson Elizabeth Matheson (born 1942) is a prominent photographer in North Carolina. Early life and education Elizabeth Matheson was born in Hillsborough, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor's degree from Sweet Briar College in 1964 before attendin ...
(born 1942), photographer *
Frances Mayes Frances Mayes is an American novelist. Her 1996 memoir '' Under the Tuscan Sun.'' was on the New York Times Best Seller list for over two years and was the basis for the film '' Under the Tuscan Sun''. Biography Born and raised in Fitzgerald, Geor ...
(born 1940), author *
Logan Pause Logan Pause (born August 22, 1981) is an American former soccer player and coach who spent his entire twelve-year professional career with the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. Playing career College and amateur After attending Jordan ...
(born 1981), soccer player *
Hilda Pinnix-Ragland Hilda Pinnix-Ragland (born May 1955) is an American business executive and philanthropist. As the former Vice President of Corporate Public Affairs for Duke Energy, she was the first African-American woman to serve as a vice president at the compa ...
, business executive *
Connie Ray Constance Ray (born July 10, 1956) is an American actress and playwright. Among her highest-profile appearances are ''Thank You for Smoking'' (2006) and ''Stuart Little'' (1999), and the television drama '' ER'' (1997). She also appeared in ''I ...
(born 1956), actress *
Scott Satterfield Fredric Scott Satterfield (born December 21, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati. Satterfield previously served as the head football coach at the Universi ...
(born 1972), head football coach at
University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
*
Lee Smith Lee Smith is the name of: Arts, entertainment and media *Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction *Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor *Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer *Lee Smith ...
(born 1944), author *
Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take ...
(1915–1967), jazz composer, pianist and arranger *
Shepperd Strudwick Shepperd Strudwick (September 22, 1907 – January 15, 1983) was an American actor of film, television, and stage. He was also billed as John Shepperd for some of his films and for his acting on stage in New York. Early years Strudwick was ...
(1907–1983), actor *
Bryse Wilson Bryse Everett Wilson (born December 20, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. Wilson was drafted by ...
(born 1997),
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher * Trenton Gill (born 1999), NFL punter for the Chicago Bears


References


External links

*
Hillsborough/Orange Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Towns in Orange County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Populated places established in 1754 1754 establishments in North Carolina