Mysterious stories of Chapel Hill's past shared on Sunday

Chapel Hill is home to a host of unsolved mysteries, ghost stories and brutal crimes.

Ernest Dollar, executive director of the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill, shared some of those stories Sunday at the Chapel Hill Public Library.

“What better way to preserve history than to educate people?” Dollar said.

Duel to have occurred at site of Gimghoul Castle

As legend has it, in 1833 Peter Dromgoole was killed in a duel over a woman. He allegedly bled to death on a large rock that was stained red by his blood.

Others say Dromgoole is more likely to have fled the scene after a showdown with his love’s alternate suitor.

In the 1920s, the Order of Gimghoul, a secret society, built Gimghoul Castle at the scene of the supposed duel. Some records regarding the Order of Gimghoul exist in Wilson Library.

Physician haunts Carolina Inn for more than 40 years

The Carolina Inn — specifically room 252 ­— is listed as one of the top five haunted places in Chapel Hill.

Dr. William Jacocks lived in the room from 1948 to his death sometime around 1965. Since his death, legends say he has haunted the second floor of the hotel.

Residents have reported door jams, including one instance where a door had to be removed by its hinges to access the room.

Two ghost hunting teams have recently explored the hotel for signs of paranormal activity.

Attempted rape in Coker Arboretum still unsolved

In 1965, Suellen Evans was walking through the Coker Arboretum in broad daylight when a man drew a 5-inch knife on her and attempted to rape her, Dollar said.

When Evans screamed and fought back, her assailant stabbed her in the neck and then through the heart, he said.

As nearby women ran toward her screams, students identified a 50-year-old red-haired man as fleeing from the scene with blood on his clothes. He was never found and the case remains unsolved, Dollar said.

Preservation society works to map unmarked graves

Over the years, black cemeteries have been deteriorating and subject to vandalism. The black section of the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery is no exception.

In 1985 fans attempting to park for a Clemson-UNC football game even used the black section of the cemetery as a parking lot.

The Preservation Society has recently worked to find and map 62 unmarked graves. They plan to expand their mapping project to two other black cemeteries.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.