Old Well

For other uses, see Old Well (film).
Old Well
The Old Well
LocationUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Coordinates35°54′43.4″N 79°3′4.5″W / 35.912056°N 79.051250°W / 35.912056; -79.051250
Built1897
WebsiteThe Old Well

The Old Well is a small, neoclassical cyclostyle on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus at the southern end of McCorkle Place.[1][2][3] The current decorative form of the Old Well was modeled after the Temple of Love in the Gardens of Versailles and was completed in 1897.[4] It was designed by the university registrar Eugene Lewis Harris (1856-1901), an artist and 1881 graduate of the institution, who served as registrar from 1894 to 1901.[5] It is the most enduring symbol of UNC.[6]

The Old Well drinking fountain.
The Old Well, here in a photo from 1892, served as the campus's sole water source for many years.

The Old Well is located between Old East and Old West residence halls. For many years, it served as the sole water supply for the university. In 1897, the original well was replaced and given its present signature structure by university president Edwin A. Alderman. In 1954, the university built benches, brick walls, and planted various flower beds and trees around the Old Well.

Passers-by can drink from a marble water fountain supplying city water that sits in the center of the Old Well. Campus tradition dictates that a drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes will bring good luck (or straight A's).

The Old Well is recognized as a National Landmark for Outstanding Landscape Architecture by the American Society of Landscape Architects. The Old Well is also used on the official stamp of all apparel licensed by the university.[7] Because of its status as a symbol of the university, it is the target of vandals around the time of Carolina - State sporting events.[8]

In Kinston, North Carolina, there is a replica of the Old Well, created to honor UNC alumnus Harvey Beech.[9] Beech was one of the first African-Americans to attend the University of North Carolina School of Law.

  1. ^ "Campus Map" (PDF). Maps.unc.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-13. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  2. ^ "Old Well Tour Stop". Unc.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  3. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  4. ^ "The Carolina Story—Architectural Highlights of Carolina's Historic Campus". Museum.unc.edu. Archived from the original on 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  5. ^ Madry, Sarah Brandes (2004). Well Worth a Shindy: the Architectural and Philosophical History of the Old Well at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, p. 157. iUniverse, Lincoln, NE. ISBN 0-595-30057-X.
  6. ^ "The Carolina Story—Names Across the Landscape". Museum.unc.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  7. ^ "The Old Well, an enduring symbol | A View to Hugh". Lib.unc.edu. 2010-06-23. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  8. ^ "Tar Heels Unfazed by Old Well Vandals". WRAL.com. 20 February 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  9. ^ Holliday, Rob (February 26, 2021). "A small town's Old Well honors a trailblazing Tar Heel". unc.edu. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.