1. The Old Well
https://theminorunc.com/2015/03/02/old-well-i-am-a-whites-only-well/
The history of the Old Well is very long, as it was built in 1897. However, the legend that it brings good luck didn't start until the late twentieth century. Nicholas Graham, a university archivist, turned to Facebook to find some answers. Asking alumni from the seventies, eighties, and nineties if they knew anything about the legend of the old well. The alumnus from the seventies new nothing about it, those from the eighties had talked briefly about the idea of the well giving good luck before a big exam. But it wasn't until the nineties that the legend fully developed into what it is today, that drinking from the Old Well on the first day of classes will bring good luck for the entire semester. This legend has help bring Tar heels together for over two decades.
2. Gimghoul Castle
https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2016/10/gimghoul-castle-a-source-of-lore-in-chapel-hill
Keep up with me on this one, because it is a doozy. This is a legend that has it all, romance, danger, and mystery. It all starts with a student named Peter Dromgoole and a fellow classmate fighting for the love of a woman named Ms. Fanny. This fighting reached it's peak when Dromgoole and the other student decided to duel, and, unfortunately, he lost and died in Ms. Fanny's arms. Dromgoole's blood spilled all over a large boulder, the same boulder now lures UNC freshman into the dar (I am not a freshman yet but you can catch me there August 2019).
This mystery surrounding Peter Dromgoole helped start the Order of Gimghoul, a secret student society, including a castle and gargoyle logo. To this day Dromgoole and Ms. Fanny are some of UNC's most famous ghouls. The REAL story goes like this: one day in 1833 Peter Dromgoole disappears but it turns out that he takes on the name John Williams and joins in the military. Quickly, "John Williams" rises in rank before he is tragically shot and killed by his own drunk soldier. If you are wondering just how this legend got so changed than the true story, you can thank Peter's Uncle George and Professor Kemp Plummer Battle, who both helped to spread the story we know today.
3. "He's Not Here"
https://hesnotherenc.com/the-legend/
Not so much as a legend as it is a fun story. The "He's Not Here" bar has four stories as to how it got its name. The first is the owner avoided calls by saying, "He's not here," and it naturally became the obvious choice. The second is that there was a popular movie featuring Jackie Gleason in which a bartender said the phrase, "He's not here." The final origin of the name is when girlfriends and wives called looking for their partners that would only be answered with "he's not here."
4. Horace Williams House
https://www.visitchapelhill.org/listing/horace-williams-house/317/
This is the 1840's home of Horace Williams. While it is not on campus the owner played in important role as the philosophy department chair and as the professor of the renowned author, Thomas Wolfe. Williams is believed to still be haunting his home and causing all sours of mischief such as rocking chairs, moving objects, and flushing toilets.
5. Carolina Inn Room 256
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBdv15am4ZA
The Carolina Inn is considered one of America's top ten most haunted hotels, but not for the reason you might think. Of the nearly twenty ghosts that are rumored to haunt the Carolina Inn, none are more famous than Dr. William Jacock who is widely known for his childlike practical jokes. Having lived in room 256 for seventeen years, Dr. Jacock had become quite accustomed to life at the inn and he certainly doesn't want to leave it behind. He is known for locking out guests, ruffling up bath mats, and leaving a floral scent in the air.
I hope you enjoyed these legends, and I hope that they can give you a nice little break before finals seasons really sets in.
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