Brandon Pendergraft jumps rope, carries on family heritage on Caldwell Street

Due to a source error, this story incorrectly states the graduation status of Brandon Pendergraft. According to the University Registrar’s Office, the only Brandon Pendergraft in the UNC registrar’s system attended from 1991 to 2004, and never graduated.

On nice afternoons, Brandon Pendergraft pulls his heavy-duty speakers out into the front yard of his home on Caldwell Street and turns up the volume of his rap music.

Neighbors know there’s no party going on. He’s just skipping rope on the street filled with his family’s heritage.

“With jump rope, I get to blast my music as loud as I want,” he said. “Basically the neighbors know me, so they can tell me just to turn it down.”

A 2007 graduate of UNC, Pendergraft is the great-grandson of Bruce Caldwell—a doctor and the man for whom the street is named.

At one point the Caldwells owned most of the property between Caldwell, North Columbia and Stinson streets, and the family has deep ties to the University.

Joseph Caldwell became the first president of the University in 1804.

His black slave, November Caldwell, is the patriarch of a long line of descendants who withstood more than 200 years of changing racial tensions in Chapel Hill.

Living on a street that he can call his own has given Pendergraft a love for the neighborhood, and an easy relationship with his neighbors.

“It feels real good to be literally in your own neighborhood or your own street,” he said. “It’s like your heritage lives on.”

Pendergraft exercises in the street as often as he gets a chance—usually three or four times a week—in order to stay in shape. Many of his family members have died of or are fighting cancer, including his mother and sister.

“I want to make sure that if something happens to me, it will be because of something I’ve done,” Pendergraft said. “That’s why I stay in shape.”

When he’s in the groove, he jumps for as long as four hours. He could run or lift weights, but he said he’d rather not deal with losing weight from running or bulking up from lifting.

Pendergraft’s neighbors are used to him, and many on the street recognize him as the “jump rope guy.” Occasionally new neighbors complain about the noise.

“Everybody knows who I am,” he said. “I try to stay courteous.”

Pendergraft lives in a house owned by his father. Another close relative, Ed Caldwell, owns and rents several properties along the street.

Some of the more recent family members have stayed involved with the University, including Ed Caldwell’s late grandfather “Big Ed,” who built and lived in the big brick house in the middle of the street.

“Big Ed, he worked at the DKE (Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity) house,” said Eva Caldwell of her father-in-law. Eva Caldwell married into the family and moved to Chapel Hill in 1961.

“In fact they have a plaque there in front of the house with his name on it. Big Ed would bring all the DKE boys there to the brick house and cook for them, sometimes in the middle of the night.”

Pendergraft is also well recognized in the neighborhood. With plans to attend Stanford University for law school in fall 2011, Pendergraft takes care of his father, looks after the rental property and, of course, jumps rope.

“I see him jumpin’, jumpin’, jumpin’ on Caldwell Street,” said Eva Caldwell, who lives around the corner on Church Street. “He seems like a real nice kid.”

Neighbor Euzelle Smith, who has lived on the street since 1950 and has known many Caldwells, said Pendergraft’s jumping doesn’t bother her.

“I think that’s the least anybody could complain about – somebody exercising in the street,” she said.

“He doesn’t hold up traffic. He moves out of the way and keeps exercising.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.