Kings Mill-Morgan Creek History
Project
Chapel Hill Historical Society
September 20, 2015
“Carolina in my Mind”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78O6--THTF0
Presenters
• Carl Anderson – “Growing up in Kings MillMorgan Creek”
• Vici Cook – “Mid-century Modern Architecture
in KMMC”
• Tom Jepsen – “A Brief History of KMMC”
• Johnny Randall – “The Natural History of
KMMC”
History of the History Project
• Began in June 2014 with emails on the Kings MillMorgan Creek listserv about the Taylors,
Christmas, the creek
• July 18 Aging in Place Pub – call for volunteers
• July 27 – first history project meeting
• November 9 - First documents on KMMC
Neighborhood Association website
• http://www.kmmcna.org/history
• Short presentation at Neighborhood Association
annual meeting – January 25, 2015
Morgan Creek
Susan Hogan photo
The Morgans and the Masons
• Morgan Creek (or Morgan’s Creek, •
as it was once called) takes its
name from the family of Mark
Morgan, an early settler who came
from Pennsylvania in preRevolutionary War days to farm
land he had purchased from the
Earl of Granville.
• According to legend, his first
•
residence was in the hollow of a
giant sycamore tree near the banks
of the creek.
• Morgan eventually became a
wealthy planter and was one of ten
landowners who donated land for
the establishment of the University
of North Carolina in 1792.
In 1854, Mark Morgan’s
granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth
Morgan, married Reverend James
Pleasant Mason, and began
farming on a tract of the Morgan
property known as Mason Farm,
from which Mason Farm Road took
its name.
After the deaths of Reverend
Mason in 1893 and Mary Elizabeth
Mason the following year, 800
acres of the Mason Farm property,
including the Laurel Hill area, were
bequeathed to the University of
North Carolina.
Morgan Creek Before WW2
• The university leased out sections of
the land to tenant farmers, who
cleared small areas to grow cotton,
corn, and tobacco.
• The Kings Mill/Morgan Creek area
consisted of rural woodlands and
farmland until well into the
twentieth century, and was used for
fishing and outdoor recreation by
Chapel Hill residents.
• During the Prohibition era (19201933), many illegal stills operated in
the Kings Mill-Morgan Creek area,
due to the relative inaccessibility of
the area and the availability of
spring water for mixing mash.
Farmhouse near 902 Woodbine,
1930s. Photo courtesy Suzanne
Lewis-Brown
Fishing Morgan Creek - 1890
• UNC President
Francis Venable
and Daughter
Louise, fishing in
Morgan Creek,
1890. Courtesy
Chapel Hill
Historical Society
Kings Mill
• Kings Mill Road takes its name • The mill was still the property of
from a grist mill which once
Cornelia Oldham in 1924, when
existed on Morgan Creek.
the mill was washed away by a
flood on August 3.
• King’s Mill first appeared on a
map in 1833, and was identified • The millstone has been
as the Daniel Mill. It was later
recovered and now stands at the
acquired by Christopher Barbee
entrance to the herb garden at
and run by him and his son-inthe North Carolina Botanical
law.
Garden.
• Ownership passed to Baxter and
Jeanette King, who owned it
around 1880, and gave the mill
its present name.
• They sold it in turn to an African
American couple, Henderson
and Cornelia Oldham.
Tom Jepsen photo
Kings Mill
• Photos of Kings Mill Wall and Raceway:
Photos courtesy Carl Anderson
Post WW2 Development
• In the period immediately
following World War II, the town of
Chapel Hill expanded its
boundaries to allow for the
construction of new housing.
• In February 1947, the town
aldermen proposed extending the
southern boundary of the town to
south of Merritt’s Store on the old
Pittsboro Road (now US 15-501),
and extending the eastern
boundary to Laurel Hill Road.
• The Kings Mill-Morgan Creek
neighborhood was developed in
the 1950s and 1960s on land
owned by Dr. William Chambers
Coker, his university colleague
Henry Roland Totten, and William
Lanier Hunt.
Clearing Land, 1952. Photo
Courtesy Barb & Jim Thomas
Botanists and Developers
•
•
William Chambers Coker
(October 24, 1872 – June
27, 1953) was professor of •
botany at the University of
North Carolina and one of
the original developers of
the Kings Mill-Morgan
Creek neighborhood. In
1934, Coker married Louise
Manning Venable, the
daughter of UNC President
Francis Venable..
Henry Roland Totten
(November 6, 1892 –
February 9, 1974) was a
botanist and professor at
the University of North
Carolina. The Totten
Center at the North
Carolina Botanical Garden
is named after him.
William Lanier (“Billy”)
Hunt (May 22, 1906 –
October 19, 1996) was
born in Pomona, North
Carolina, and came to
Chapel Hill in 1927 as a
student at the University
of North Carolina. In
1937, Hunt purchased
104 acres along Morgan
Creek.
Land Ownership and Transfers– 1940s1950s
• W. C. Coker sold land in the
western part of the neighborhood
to J. Edison and Katherine Adams, •
Donald and Helen Costello, Arthur
and Barbara Roe, and Maurice
Whittinghill in 1945.
• Dr. Isaac Taylor purchased a large
tract of land in the central part of
the neighborhood in 1952.
• Probiem Lee Elmore, a New York
window designer, sold several lots
in 1955.
• James G. Williams sold land to
Frank Winter in 1955 – Winter
Drive.
W. L. Hunt also subdivided the land
he owned in 1956.
Original Land Owners – KMMC
Neighborhood
The North Carolina Memorial Hospital
• The history of the Kings Millopened on September 2, 1952.
Morgan Creek neighborhood has • Inpatient room rates were
close ties with the North Carolina
advertised as $14 per day for a bed
Memorial Hospital.
in a ward, $27 per day for a room
• So many medical practitioners
with private bath.
made their homes in the
neighborhood that it was once
commonly called “pill hill.”
• The story of the North Carolina
Memorial Hospital had its origin in
the mid-1940s with the “Good
Health” movement.
NC Memorial Hospital, 1953.
• The new hospital was officially
From N&O, April 19, 1953
Kings Mill-Morgan Creek Physicians
Dr. William
Fleming,
Outpatient
Dr. Colin
Thomas,
Surgery
Dr. L.B.
Higley,
Dentistry
Dr. Carl E.
Anderson,
Biochemistry
Dr. Isaac
Taylor, Dean
1964-71
Dr. Joseph
Perlmutt,
Physiology
Dr. John
Sessions,
GastroEnt.
Dr. G. P.
Manire,
Bacteriology
Dr. Thomas
Barnet,
Gen. Med
Dr. William
Sprunt,
Radiology
Dr. David
Davis,
Anesthesiology
Dr. Christopher
Fordham, Dean
1971-9
The Medical
School was also
expanded from a
2 year program to
a 4 year program,
leading to the
hiring of many
new faculty
members.
Building the Bypass (Fordham Blvd)
• In the late 1940s, merchants in the
downtown section of Chapel Hill
along Franklin Street began to
•
complain about traffic congestion. •
• Planning boards proposed a bypass
route that would connect highway
15 (the “Durham road”) with
highway 54 west of Carrboro.
• Completed in the early 1950s; it
provides the main access to the
Kings Mill/Morgan Creek
neighborhood.
• The bypass crossed pastureland
owned by store owner and dairy
farmer Eben Merritt.
Renamed Fordham Boulevard.
Manning Drive completed in 1952
to permit access to hospital.
15-501 Bypass (Fordham
Boulevard)
Laurel Hill-Kings Mill Development 1952
• The eastern end of the
neighborhood was developed in
1952 when Gerald Barrett and
Thomas Carroll built houses at
1021 and 1019 Laurel Hill Road
near the intersection with Kings
Mill Road.
• The land in this area was part of W.
L. Hunt’s original Laurel Hills
development, which he subdivided
into lots which were offered for
sale in 1951.
.
Kings Mill Road, circa 1953.
L to R: Lucy McElroy,
Christine Larsen, Laverne
Anderson, Douglas
Anderson. Photo courtesy
Carl Anderson
Chapel Hill Weekly,
September 19, 1952
Morgan Creek Road Development1952
• The western end of the
neighborhood is generally referred
to as the “Morgan Creek”
neighborhood.
• The first house constructed in this
end of the neighborhood was the
house built by Dr. William Fleming
at 406 Morgan Creek Road in 1952.
• The second house was built on land
purchased from Henry Totten by
Fleming’s next-door neighbor, Dr.
Colin Thomas, at 408 Morgan Creek
Road in 1953.
Colin Thomas House under
construction, 1953. Photos
courtesy Barb & Jim Thomas
Modernist Architecture in Kings MillMorgan Creek
• About 24% (39 out of 160) of
houses in KMMC neighborhood are
considered “Modernist”
• Mostly built in the 1950s and 1960s
• Many well-known architects were
graduates of the NC State School of
Design
• Characteristics:
–
–
–
–
“Form follows function”
Simplicity and clarity of forms
Elimination of unnecessary detail
Visual emphasis on horizontal and
vertical lines
– Lots of glass
NC Modernist Houses Website,
http://www.ncmodernist.org/in
dex.html
Modernist Houses in North Carolina
• North Carolina has the third most
Modernist houses in the US, after
Los Angeles and Long Island.
•
• There are about 1300 Modernist
houses in North Carolina.
• North Carolina is the home of
North Carolina Modernist Houses,
(NCMH), started in 2007 by George
Smart as “Triangle Modernist
Houses.”
• George Smart’s father was a
Raleigh architect for over 40 years.
• The NCMH website archive now
contains 6600 houses, 285
architects, and 19500 photos.
What does NCMH look for?
–
–
–
–
–
Flat or low pitched roof; no attic
Combination of rooms (open plan)
Extensive use of glass
Unusual interior/exterior geometry
Connection to Modernist architects
George
Smart
Modernist Architects in KMMC: Terry
Waugh
•
•
•
•
Edward (“Terry”) Waugh (1913-1966) was •
born in South Africa – educated at
Houghton College in Johannesburg and
University of Edinburgh Schools of
•
Engineering and Architecture
Immigrated to the US in 1941
Recruited by Henry Kamphoefner at
NCSU School of Design in 1948
Taught at NCSU until 1951
Opened his own firm, Edward Waugh and
Associates, in 1952
Terry Waugh designed houses in KMMC:
–
–
–
–
–
–
406 Morgan Creek Rd – 1952 (Fleming)
408 Morgan Creek Rd - 1953 (Thomas)
410 Morgan Creek Rd– 1957 (Shands)
511 Morgan Creek Rd– 1961 (Milam)
514 Morgan Creek Rd– 1957 (Barnett)
603 Morgan Creek Ln– 1953 (White)
William and Bea Fleming House – 406
Morgan Creek Road
• Completed in 1952 – first house in
western portion of neighborhood
• Landscape architecture by Lewis
Clarke
• Currently owned by Sally Greene
and Paul Jones
Colin G. and Shirley Thomas House –
408 Morgan Creek Road
• Completed in 1953 – 2nd house in
western part of neighborhood
• Original carport later enclosed
• Currently owned by Barb Thomas
and Patrick Mortell
Modernist Architects in KMMC: Arthur
Cogswell
• Arthur Ralph Cogswell Jr. (19302010) was born in Jacksonville, FL • Arthur Cogswell designed houses in
KMMC:
–
–
–
–
• Graduated from UNC in 1952 and
NCSU School of Design in 1959
• Opened his own firm in 1962
• Named a Fellow of the American
Institute of Architects in 1972
505 Morgan Creek Rd – 1966 (Boswell)
613 Morgan Creek Rd - 1964 (Smith)
640 Morgan Creek Rd– 1967 (Rolett)
21 Shady Lane – 1963 (Wier)
Dean Smith House – 613 Morgan
Creek Road
• Built in 1964
• Residence of basketball coach Dean
Smith (1931-2015) from 1964 to
1975
• Renovated by Phil Szostak
• Now owned by Emily Kass and
Charles Weinraub
Ellis and Virginia Rolett House – 640
Morgan Creek Road
• Completed in 1967
• Featured in New Homes Guide
(1969)
• Now owned by Tom & Vici Cook
Modernist Architects in KMMC: John
Latimer
• John Donald Latimer (1916-1996)
studied architectural design at MIT • John Latimer designed houses in
and earned BS degree from Rhode
KMMC:
Island School of Design
– 618 Morgan Creek Rd – 1952 (Taylor)
– 1004 Kings Mill Rd - 1954 (Howell)
• Began architectural practice in
Durham in 1953
• Appointed by Governor Robert
Scott to NC Board of Architects
Isaac and Trudy Taylor House – 618
Morgan Creek Road
• Design begun by George
Matsumoto (1922- )
• After Matsumoto had conflicts with
Trudy Taylor, John Latimer
completed the project in 1952
• Steel beam construction
• Home where James Taylor grew up
• Owned by Pat Johnston family
Modernist Architects in KMMC: Jim
Webb and Carl Koch
•
James Murray (Jim) Webb (1908-2000)
Started City Planning and Architecture
Associates (CPAA) in the 1950s
•
Jim Webb designed houses in KMMC:
–
–
–
–
614 Morgan Creek Rd – 1955 (Welt)
1107 Sourwood Circle - 1960 (Sanders)
1111 Sourwood Circle – 1959 (Bixler)
2 Bartram Drive – 1958 (Rodman)
•
Carl Koch (1912-1998) designed
Techbuilt houses
•
Techbuilt houses in KMMC:
–
–
–
–
515 Morgan Creek Rd – 1959 (Spitznagel)
634 Morgan Creek Rd -- 1957 (Kreps)
708 Coker Ln – 1960 (Leonard)
710 Coker Ln – 1962 (?)
More Modernist Houses in KMMC…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
William Berkes and Robert Brownell Deck Houses: •
– 314 Winter Drive – 1980 (Pettis)
– 902 Kings Mill Rd - 1988 (Johnson)
Donald Stewart:
– 903 Coker Drive – 1960 (Bowers)
– 700 Morgan Creek Rd - 1957 (Sessions)
Dan McMillan:
– 909 Kings Mill Rd – 1953 (Anderson)
George Hackney:
– 808 Kings Mill Rd – 1954 (Davis)
G. Hugh Tsuroka:
– 612 Morgan Creek Rd – 1955 (Sugioka)
Harwell Harris:
– 505 Hawthorne – 1964 (Klingberg)
Jay Fulkerson:
– 100 Morgan Bluff – 2005 (Barrett)
Charles Mincey:
– 1105 Sourwood Circle – 2010 (Roussouw)
Unknown Architect:
– 101 Ashe Place – 1963 (Freeman)
– 806 Kings Mill Rd - 1957 (?)
– 901 Kings Mill Rd – 1972 (?)
– 916 Kings Mill Rd – 1958 (Duncan)
– 1115 Sourwood Dr – 1957 (Clayton)
– 1116 Sourwood Circle – 1967 (?)
– 7 Bartram Dr – 1968 (?)
Opening of the NC Botanical Garden,
1966
• The North Carolina Botanical
Garden sits at the eastern edge of
the Kings Mill-Morgan Creek
neighborhood.
• The history of the NC Botanical
Garden began when W. C. Coker
and H. R. Totten proposed creating
a large botanical garden south of
the campus in the 1920s.
• On Arbor Day, April 10,
1966, Director C. Ritchie Bell
opened the first part of the North
Carolina Botanical Garden to the
public, the Nature Trails.
L: Early Nature Trails Sign
R: Director C. Ritchie Bell
Annexation by Town - 1969
• The Kings Mill-Morgan Creek
neighborhood was part of the area
annexed by the Town of Chapel Hill
on May 28, 1969.
• Many neighborhood residents
opposed the annexation, feeling
that the area was not yet ready to
be incorporated into the town.
• Those who owned horses and
sheep would have to move them
elsewhere or give them up.
• Winter Drive area was not
included.
Kings Mill-Morgan Creek
Neighborhood Annexed by
Town of Chapel Hill, 1969
Additions to Neighborhood – 1980sPresent
• Morgan Bluff and Morgan Bend
subdivisions developed – 1986
– Morgan Bluff Lane was added as an
extension to Morgan Creek Road to
provide access to the three lots at 101,
104, and 105 Morgan Bluff Lane.
– The Morgan Bend neighborhood
bordered on the bend in Morgan Creek.
• Botanical Way Development 2002
– On June 12, 2006, the Chapel Hill Town
Council adopted a neighborhood
conservation district (NCD) plan for the
Kings Mill-Morgan Creek
neighborhood.
– The NCD contains a set of design
standards that new development must
comply with as part of the approval
process.
– Land formerly belonging to J. Edison
Adams was subdivided into eight lots
along Botanical Way, with the first
house constructed in 2005.
• Neighborhood Conservation
District – 2006
Morgan Bluff and
Morgan Bend
Botanical Way
Merritt Pasture Access – 1999-2011
• The Merritt Pasture, at the western
end of the Morgan Creek
neighborhood, had been used by •
the Merritt family as pasture land
for their dairy cattle.
• Purchased by the Town of Chapel
Hill to be preserved as open space
in November 1991.
• Initially, there was no safe access to
pasture.
• The proposed access solution was
to provide a walking path from the
pasture west underneath the 15-
501 bridge to a parking area on
highway 54.
Morgan Creek Trail opened on June
4, 2011.
Morgan Creek Trail website,
https://foursquare.com/v/morgan-creek-trail-nc-hwy-54-access/4df89cd1d4c02ad7341903f4
Neighborhood Stories
Greg Georges photo
What is “Copperline”?
• “Half a mile down to Morgan
Creek, leaning heavy on the end of
the week. Hercules and a hognosed snake, down on Copperline •
we were down on Copperline.”
– James Taylor
• “Copperline is an area south of
Chapel Hill, just outside the town
corporation limit through which
Morgan Creek flows. Moonshine •
has historically and to some extent,
still is part of Southern culture and
lore and this song makes several
references to it: Wood smoke,
copper kettle, sour mash, copper
coil.”
– HR Malpass
“Copperline - in addition to the
moonshine reference - also has to
do with simply the color of the
creek (which is often of copper
color from the red clay silt washed
in after most every rain).”
Johnny Randall
Crossing the Creek on the Sewer Pipes
•
•
“As a family, we had plenty of walks
down by Morgan Creek and used to
cross over it via a large sewer pipe…
My older brother, Andy, had a young
admirer who lived there and we called
on her once and I remember her
parents being dismayed to hear that, a)
that we had come on foot; and b)
(even worse) that we had come via a
sewer pipe across the creek. (Well,
that's the English for you...).”
– Rachel Cole
“Helen Perlmutt and I have given up
crossing the pipes (AND FORDHAM
BLVD), but I continue to marvel at
those who do. My internist lives "over
there" She crosses regularly, carrying
her dog, who is fearful of crossing since
he fell in. A few years ago, I watched
the young man w/the motorized bike...
He would ride his bike across the
pipes.”
– Pat Johnston
Tom Jepsen photo
Morgan Creek in Winter
•
•
Remnants of the mill house and the
dam which contained the mill pond are
still visible. The mill pond would
occasionally freeze over in the winter,
when it became a popular destination
for ice skating.
In the winter, you could sled or even
ski on the road – especially on the hills:
Photos
courtesy
Rachel Coles
Kids
•
•
•
The neighborhood was a great place to
grow up in, according to many past and
present residents. The woods and the
creek provided ample opportunities for
outdoor activities. In the summer, you
could go fishing in the creek for bass,
crappie, and bluegill.
Elaine (Blythe) Bixiones once caught an
eel, which neighbor Joffre Coe
suggested she take home to cook,
something that would not have been
welcomed by her mother, Dorothy.
In the woods, you could build tree
houses and log cabins, or start a
campfire
Cole and
Toverud
Children,
1969. Photos
courtesy
Rachel Cole
Horses
•
“Morgan Creek, being outside of city
limits permitted recreational
opportunities that are not possible
today, e.g., maintenance of horses. We
procured a palomino mare in foal in
the late ‘50s. By fencing off the
western third of our lot we had
adequate space. A horse port was
created – 20 x 30 feet – consisting of
six upright poles with an aluminum
roof as coverage for feeding oats and
hay. Hay was brought in as bales of
lespedeza every six to eight weeks.
Water was made available in a split
water tank fed by a hose from the
house. Limited grazing was possible on
the lawn.”
–
Tim Thomas
Goldie and
Spinnaker
(1960s)
Barb and
Karen
Thomas on
Goldie
(1960s)
Photos Courtesy Barb & Jim Thomas
Dogs
•
•
•
Dogs were important neighborhood
residents as well, with their own stories
to tell.
•
“Hercules,” mentioned in James
Taylor’s song “Copperline,” was the
Taylor family dog.
“After Orville Campbell (801 KMR) and
his wife divorced, he remarried Watts
Hill's daughter and lived at 1002 KMR.
Their poor dog "Penelope" used to
walk back and forth from one end of
the street to the other, between the
two owners (Orville and his first wife).”
–
•
Lois Annab
Many remember “Scout,” the Glasser’s
golden retriever, who required no
persuasion to chase and fetch a tennis
ball when out walking with Rich and
Florry Glasser.
After Scout’s demise around 2008 from
old age, the Glassers acquired a second
golden retriever puppy, sometimes
referred to as “Cub Scout,” or “Scout
#2.” After the Glassers moved to Carol
Woods, Scout #2 lived up to his name
by helping to rescue an elderly man
who had become lost on the premises,
leading searchers directly to the spot
where the man was found.
Scout#1. Photo by
Tom Jepsen
The Taylor family
•
•
•
•
•
•
“My brothers Doug and Carl all remember
James Taylor and his family quite well.
“My brothers were close in age to James,
Kate, Alex and Livingston, while I was closer
in age to Huey.
“James's father, Ike Taylor, was dean of the
med school while my father was assistant
dean.
“Doug bought James's first guitar for $15
and later sold it for $10 (yes, Doug would
later end up as a successful business man
living in Governor's Club).
“Trudy, James's mom, used to visit my mom
on trips back to Chapel Hill and she had her
dandelion recipe for some dish. “
– Lois Annab
“I was just starting to weave and Trudy took
a special interest in me and brought me
several fleeces from their sheep. She also
wanted me to teach weaving to their young
Kate but that never really took off. I was in
awe of her design sense, her special
greenhouse where she was growing orchids,
and the separate quarters they had built for
their teenage sons, connected to the house
by a zipline. It seemed like the most idyllic
place I had ever seen at age 22 and certainly
never imagined that I would some day be
living in the same neighborhood.”
– Sandy Milroy
Dr. Isaac Taylor (L.) and Trudy Taylor (R.)
James Taylor
•
•
•
James Vernon Taylor (March 12, 1948 - ) is a
singer and songwriter. He has won five
Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
James Taylor was born in Boston and came
to Chapel Hill in 1951 when his parents,
Isaac and Trudy Taylor, moved here. He
attended public grade schools in Chapel Hill,
and Milton Academy, a private prep school,
in Massachusetts. He returned to Chapel Hill
in 1964 and attended Chapel Hill High
School briefly. During this time, he formed a
band with his brother Alex called the
“Fabulous Corsairs,” and recorded several
songs in Raleigh.
“When we used to walk down through the
back yard and down to the creek, we used
to stop and play in a small (concrete?) hut
that stood in the woods that was covered in
stickers and bumper-plates and road-signs. I
am guessing that this is what Bob [Moore]
was referring to when he told us that the
Taylor parents built a playhouse/hangout for
James and his siblings and/or friends.”
–
Rachel Cole
James Taylor (1970s)
Taylor Clubhouse
“The Fabulous
Corsairs”
Holidays
•
•
•
In the 1960’s, a popular Christmas event
•
was the bonfire held at the David Davis
residence at 900 Kings Mill. Jimmy Wallace,
later Mayor of Chapel Hill, would lead the
singing of Christmas carols.
The Taylors, a musical family, would also go
around the neighborhood singing Christmas
carols. Around 1968, James Taylor brought
his then-girlfriend, Joni Mitchell, along for
the caroling.
“Tom Barnett (whose house now belongs to
Felix and Marianne) told me this story, who
had them all in for a drink, and took a
picture of James and Joni on his couch. Tom
was so excited (and rattled) by the whole
event that his picture came out a complete
blur.”
–
Johnny Randall
Since about 2003, Robert and Laura Moore
have celebrated New Years’ eve with a
fireworks display, often with the help of next
door neighbors Ben and Zack Morgan, who
supplied fireworks from their secret stash
and helped to light the fireworks. And every
year, the Chapel Hill police would pay a visit
to determine the source of the noise. On
New Years’ eve 2015, the policeman sent
out to investigate the disturbance was none
other than Officer Ben Morgan of the
Chapel Hill police!
Peggy Pollitzer
and Girl Scouts
Decorate
Christmas Tree in
Front of Honeys
Restaurant, 1970
Halloween
•
•
•
For many years, neighborhood kids enjoyed
having their fortunes told by our resident
Gypsy, “Madame Florenza” (Florry Glasser),
on Halloween.
Neighbors in the Sourwood Drive/Sourwood
Circle area began to organize an annual
Halloween event, to be held at the bottom
of Sourwood Drive, where it joins Sourwood
Circle. The first Sourwood Halloween party
was held in 2010.
“AT the bottom of the hill, as Sourwood
Drive swings into Sourwood Circle, from 6 to
8 p.m. on Halloween (Sun. 10/31), all
goblins young, old and in between are
invited to stop by - roast marshmallows and
tell each other scary stories. Please
bring: yourselves (costumed or not), a great
marshmallow stick, an empty wine glass (if
appropriate - and bottles of wine are
invited) and a lawn chair if desired. We
Corner Goblins will be waiting for you !!”
–
Jeanne van Gemert
“Madame Florenza,” Halloween, 2014
Sourwood Halloween Party, 2014
Morgan Creek Mysteries
•
“I also want to mention there is the tail end
of an WWII army plane that crashed on the
second hill over from the creek going south
in a hickory/oak mature forest area that we
found as kids. We brought back mortars
about 10 inches or so long when I was a kid
exploring with Kevin Cohan....to our parents
dismay - they called the police, which called
the bomb squad. Never found out if they
were alive or not. We survived and were
very proud of our findings at age 10 or so!”
–
•
Lois Annab
“Chapel Hill is home of several legends and
mysteries … and most incredible the ghost
car that is often seen cruising late at night
on Morgan Creek Road without a driver. I
have heard about this from more than a
dozen witnesses who say they have seen a
silver car resembling the shape of a Checker
Cab cruising down this road at night. In two
separate incidents the car drove slowly
behind them as they were walking along the
road near dawn, and then suddenly picked
up speed and passed them by. To their
astonishment there was no one behind the
wheel.”
•
Charly Mann, Chapel Hill Memories,
http://www.chapelhillmemories.com/index/read_article/2
27?cat=17
The History Page on the KMMC
Website
Thanks to the History Project Team!
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Carl Anderson
Lois Annab
Chuck Cave
Vici Cook
Martha Diefendorf
Florry Glasser
Marsha Jepsen
Emily Kass
Dave Morgan
Helen Perlmutt
Johnny Randall
Carl Anderson photo
And a Special Thanks to all the
Neighbors who Contributed!
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Elaine Bixiones
Cyndy Blackburn
Joff Coe
Louise Creed
Alyssa Crockett
Jean Davison
Estela diFranco
Rosann Farber-Petes
Greg Georges
Sally Greene
Dana Greenwood
Joanne Haggerty
Iris Tillman Hill
Loren Hintz
Susan Hogan
Elizabeth Holsten
Paul Jones
Suzanne Lewis-Brown
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Jean Anne Leuchtenburg
Scott Madry
Sandy Milroy
Helen Perlmutt
Jean Phay
Ginny Pollitzer
Johnny Randall
Ann Rauchbach
Janet Shea
Barb Thomas
Jim Thomas
Nancy Tripoli
Patrick Vernon
Nina Wallace
And Finally…
Do you have a Morgan Creek
Neighborhood story to tell?
We’d love to hear it!
Tom Jepsen tjepsen@mindspring.com
Carl Anderson cwa@bnl.gov
Vici Cook viciccook@gmail.com
Johnny Randall jrandall@email.unc.edu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JunmomMSK0
“Copperline”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JunmomMSK0