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THE McCAULEY FAMILY CEMETERY: MARCH 2017

This historic cemetery is strategically located on a promontory above University Lake on land

acquired by the University of North Carolina (hereafter, UNC) for the purpose of damming

Morgan Creek and creating a reservoir to provide water for the University and Chapel Hill.

Buried in the cemetery are Matthew McCauley, an immigrant seeking refuge from the English

king (having escaped Ireland before the Revolution), who later was a Revolutionary War

hero, and who subsequently donated 150 acres for UNC. During his lifetime he was a

prominent citizen—a merchant, operator of a grist mill and blacksmith shop or foundry on

Morgan Creek, a Mason, and, with his similarly prominent brother William, a participant in

the laying of the cornerstone of Old East, the first building of the first public university in this

country. He is also said to have been the brewer of the finest Irish whiskey in North Carolina.

At the time of his burial the Cemetery looked out over the Morgan Creek Valley where

Matthew had acquired extensive acreage beginning in the 1790s. The site changed

dramatically in 1932 when Morgan Creek was dammed, creating University Lake, which

consists of 232 acres and serves as the major source of water for the University and for the

Chapel Hill and Carrboro communities. At that time it appears as if a cottage, now deserted,

housed the “warden” or caretaker for the lake. The cottage is a scant 20 feet from the front

presentation of the Cemetery while the Cemetery is less than 100 yards from the shores of

University Lake.

The Cemetery also holds some secrets. The death date for McCauley on the headstone is

incorrect which would call into question the date of the founding of the Cemetery. This

incorrect death date (1832 instead of 1821) occurs regularly in the extant records including on

UNC’s McCauley website at Wilson Library. It is not clear why this repeated error occurs in

citing the date of Matthew’s death. I wonder if he who carved the headstone became

confused and mistakenly listed the date of Matthew’s eldest son’s death which was 1832—an

error which has been endlessly repeated. In earlier years the Cemetery appeared to have

nine graves but only three are known: Matthew, his wife Martha, and a great-grandson,

Charles, a young man of 21. Details regarding the remaining six burials of relatives were

unknown and those graves were marked only by rough native stones, now themselves buried

in leaf mold or possibly removed for mowing. The Cemetery has been restored a number of

times, but when a descendant, Rod McCauley, visited the site in 2016, he found it littered

with trash and it could not be entered due to fallen trees and branches. His posting on

Facebook led the Daughters of the American Revolution (hereafter DAR) and the Chapel Hill

Historical Society (hereafter, CHHS) to become involved and eventually for a grounds crew

from UNC to remove the worst of the trash, branches, and trees in February of 2017. Dr.

William Burlingame of the Society has undertaken this current documentation and he created

the accompanying photo essay and brief history. He, Rod McCauley, and the CHHS will

continue to clarify and amplify the known history, and will work toward the restoration of

this historical site.

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William V. (Bill) Burlingame, Ph.D., Member,

Board of Directors, Chapel Hill Historical Society, and

Clinical Professor of Psychology (Retired), University of North Carolina

at Chapel Hill

THE McCAULEYS IN NORTH CAROLINA

William and Matthew McCauley emigrated from County Antrim in Northern Ireland to North

Carolina in 1770s under most unusual circumstances. According to family tradition they were

aboard a ship bound for America, their party consisting of William, his brother Matthew (four

years younger), and William’s two small children. Matthew was wheeled aboard the ship in a

hogshead (a barrel or cask) of molasses (labeled as “china” in one account). He was said to have a

price on his head offered by the King of England due to his involvement in the insurrections of the

Irish who, for centuries, had been struggling against English rule. It wasn’t until three days out of

port—and beyond the reach of the English king—that Matthew was liberated from the barrel. In

the meantime he had been fed through a “bung hole” in the cask. Where they landed is unclear,

but they then moved on to Orange County. Over the next decades the brothers each secured

land, eventually acquiring considerable acreage, and became successful entrepreneurs,

merchants, colonial leaders, Revolutionary War soldiers, and planters, William in the New Hope

Creek, Morgan Creek, and Eno River watersheds and Matthew on Morgan Creek. For the

remainder of his life Matthew was jocularly addressed as “Bung” or “Irish Matt” in Chapel Hill and

Orange County, and he was known for brewing the finest Irish whiskey in North Carolina. Although

both contributed large tracts of land for the site of the newly established University of North

Carolina, from early on they assumed somewhat divergent paths. William undertook public

service, serving in Orange County and representing Orange County and North Carolina in the

legislatures and conventions of the new republic, while Matthew became a patriot soldier in the

Continental Army during the American Revolution before establishing the most prominent grist

mill and blacksmithing operation in Orange County.

There is one source which refers to them as half-brothers, but as far as is known they were

brothers, born in 1747 and 1750, whose father was Erin McCauley in the town of Carrickfergus in

County Antrim. This seaside town was then the largest settlement in Northern Ireland and the

family was said to be engaged in ship building. Prior history is indeed murky but the McCauleys

were descendants of the huge population (150 thousand lowland Scots) which had been resettled

by the English crown in Northern Ireland. They had been ousted from Scotland in the 16th and 17th

centuries as the English attempted to establish a Protestant powerbase in the northern six

counties of Ireland by locating a population also of Gaelic or Celtic origin which was Presbyterian

and Protestant in contrast to the Irish Catholicism of the remainder of Ireland (“Six counties lie

under John Bull’s tyranny” from “The Patriot Game,” an Irish folk song.) Tradition holds that the

earliest forbears of the McCauleys were the Norse who had occupied and settled in the Scottish

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Herbrides in the 13th century. There are the ruins of a grand and impressive castle in

Dumbartonshire which is associated with the McCauleys of that era.

Kemp Battle, historian for the University of North Carolina, provides oft-repeated anecdotes about

Matthew, particularly regarding a snake whose species are not native to Ireland. Matthew found

an attractive snake, took it and presented it to a neighbor lady who identified it as a rattlesnake

and promptly educated him about snakes. Within months of their arrival in North Carolina,

matters continued to deteriorate between England and the colonies. Matthew served in the

Continental Army, and wintered in 1777-78 at Valley Forge with General Washington. He

mustered out and then re-enlisted and served at the Battle at Whitesell’s Mill and the Battle of

Guilford Courthouse as well as in battles or skirmishes in South Carolina and Georgia. In 1781, he

was guarding Governor Burke in Hillsborough when Tory Loyalist Edmund Fanning swept through

town and captured him and the governor. For months he was imprisoned at sea on the British

prison ship, the “Eske,” before returning to Orange County in a prisoner exchange but in a

deteriorated condition due to maltreatment aboard. His wife Martha attested to this when she

later applied for a widow’s pension in 1837. Matthew left the Continental Army as a captain, but

for some reason he was mistakenly referred to as “major” or “colonel” from time to time.

The Revolutionary War ended with the American victory at Yorktown late in 1781. Matthew had

married Martha Johnston in 1780 and had acquired his first and possibly only land grant in 1782—

although that 100 acres was said to border on another property also deeded to him. Although the

legal documents we have involving Matthew are rendered in the flowery cursive of that time by

hired scribes, Martha also demonstrated in her affidavit that he was literate by showing the family

bible in which Matthew had himself inscribed six of their ten children’s names. For many reasons,

Matthew held enormous antipathy for the British and the local Tories. Kemp Battle, UNC’s

historian, describes him as a man of only modest size, who nonetheless, when encountering such

a man of Loyalist sentiment, would challenge the erstwhile Tory to fisticuffs on the spot.

Aside from his valor and prominence during the Revolutionary War, events conspired to bring

Matthew and William to the forefront in the years following. The state’s legislature created

mechanisms to establish the University of North Carolina. By 1792, in keeping with established

criteria, the search group narrowed the choices to a single site—the hill and plateau where a small

rustic chapel of the Anglican faith was located—at the intersection of two major roads or paths,

one running from the Chesapeake in Virginia, then to Oxford, and south to Pittsboro and beyond,

and the other from the North Carolina coast toward Raleigh and other early settlements in the

Piedmont. The patrons of the Chapel site had raised a substantial offering of cash ($1500) and

1290 acres of land to buttress their application. Matthew contributed the third largest acreage,

150 acres, and his brother William offered 100 acres. Mark Chilton, Register of Deeds for Orange

County, has identified the sites offered, some around or near the Davie poplar and others which

could be sold or traded to further the cause. In 1793, in a major, formal event, conducted by the

Masonic order, the cornerstone of the first building, Old East, was placed. The celebrants marched

with some pomp and pageantry from a local tavern, and the principals laid the stone and gave

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speeches. The brothers attended, of course, and William who assisted, wore his Masonic bib and

apron which is now preserved and on view at Wilson Library. General William Davie, the father of

the University and Grand Master of the Masons for North Carolina presided. Perhaps fueled by

Matthew’s Irish whiskey, Davie left for New Bern, forgetting to close the doors at the Masonic

lodge in Hillsborough. These were the events as described by Kemp Battle and other historians.

About 25 years ago, an alternate version of events appeared in an alumni publication. It was said

to consist of “legends” in the McCauley family but there was no further attribution to specific

sources or documents. The following is text from the written account as printed in Carolina

Alumni Review, April 1990, by retired faculty member, John Graham, and Kemp Nye, “Franklin

Street fixture.”

The McCauleys were Master Masons and belonged to the Eagle Lodge of Hillsborough which had been asked

to provide support at the laying of Old East’s cornerstone. Since General William R. Davie, regarded by many

as the founder of the University, was also the Grand Master of Masons for North Carolina it was fitting that

he officiate. A mural on the west wall of the lobby of the downtown Chapel Hill Post office records what is

believed to have occurred. History suggests that something slightly different seems to have occurred.

A legend in the McCauley family is that the Post Office mural is incorrect in two respects. First, General Davie

should have been wearing a hat. (Masons will understand why.) Second, the stone was not lowered into

place by a hoist and windlass. The family says that the stone was heavier than anticipated, and the hoist rope

broke. When this occurred, “Bung” McCauley, a small man, turned to Big Dave, his body servant, a 6’5” slave

who weighed 300 lbs., and said, “Dave, pick it up and put it in place.” The story is Dave put his arms around

the stone and lifted it onto the spot designated by General Davie. Then, after a suitable oration by the Rev.

Dr. Samuel E. McCorkle and the sealing of documents and Masonic “jewels” in the cavity of the cornerstone,

the party repaired to a nearby spring for refreshments.

Another McCauley legend is that “Bung” furnished the chief “refreshment.” It is said that earlier in the day

Dave had placed a 25-gallon keg of their best whiskey in their cart, and this became the centerpiece of the

post-ceremony conviviality. General Davie was a heavy drinker, and the cup made many rounds. As nightfall

approached, the well-oiled General said his goodbyes, and departed for New Bern. Unfortunately, the

Masonic Grand Master had forgotten before departing to “close” the Eagle Lodge. It remained “open” until

the Grand Master’s next visit, more than a year later. It is said that by lying open for more than a year, the

Eagle Lodge of Hillsborough achieved a distinction unique in Masonic history.

To my knowledge, no documentation or cross referencing of most of these latter incidents has

ever been offered to authenticate the “legends.” Thus, their status remains that of folklore or

perhaps myth. It should be possible for serious students of history to peruse original documents

and achieve some perspective. By way of example I seem to remember that in the records of the

Eagle Lodge, there is some humorous reference to Matthew McCauley’s whiskey. I have not been

able to locate this passage again.

As Matthew’s presence became more substantial in the county, it appears that he identified a site

for a grist mill on Morgan Creek and began to acquire property. In December of 1790 he bought

large acreage (474 acres) near the creek for 2000 pounds “near the Big Road leading to

Hillsborough.” In 1793, he petitioned for approval to construct a grist mill on Morgan Creek.

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To the Worshipfull Court of Orange County

Your Petitioner Mathew McAuley Being the

Owner of a Certain Tract of Land on Morgans Creek

and Running Both Sides of Said Creek which includes

a Valuable Mill Seat he therefore pray of an

an Order of This Court for an order to Erect a grist

mill on the same.

Mathew McAuley

Feby Term 1793

In 1811, at age 60 (some 10 years before his death in 1821), Matthew drafted a rather

comprehensive will. Indisputably, he was a very wealthy man, residing with his wife and several

minor children who were still at home at his mill site, plantation, and the blacksmithing enterprise,

presumably all on Morgan Creek. To his wife he left “the home Plantation whereupon we now live

with the mill,” together with furnishings, horses, and her choice of livestock, and “also two

negroes by the name of Isaac and Nell.” He and Martha had nine surviving children and to the

four males he divided up 12 or more tracts of land (certainly totaling more than a thousand acres

comprised mostly of homesteads and plantations plus one tract in Chapel Hill). He assigned one

slave each by name to nine of the children. Whatever was left over of his estate would then be

divided equally among all nine. A census which listed the numbers of slaves in each household in

1790 reported his 10 slaves--a number of slaves in excess of that owned by most Orange County

citizens. Also of note is that in 1797, Matthew joined with two other prominent personages in the

county and they, together with a former Methodist minister, founded the Damascus

Congregational Christian Church. Over two hundred years later this church continues in its

Congregational Christian denomination and meets at its long standing rural location.

In the years following Matthew’s death, and until her death, Martha claimed a pension, the

entitlement due to his extensive service in the Continental Army. She was, however, too ill to

travel to the courthouse in Hillsborough and she was interviewed at home by a justice of the

peace. In the subsequent account Martha seems to contradict a few aspects of the history as it

has come down. She stated, for example, that Matthew’s brother William had actually preceded

him in coming to North Carolina. Martha died in 1848 at age 88 and was buried alongside

Matthew at the family cemetery on the ridge above Morgan Creek.

This narrative to this point focuses mostly on Matthew, assuming that the Cemetery serves

primarily if not exclusively his family. Older brother William was born in Country Antrim in about

1747, emigrated with his two small children (James and Jane) and his brother Matthew to North

Carolina in the 1770s, and married Katherine Johnston Long, a widow, in the same year. Once in

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North Carolina, William acquired land grants in the upper reaches of the New Hope and Morgan

Creek watersheds before securing land for his plantation on the Eno River called “Great Meadows”

near Hillsborough. In the early years he served as justice of the peace, tax assessor, and

representative to the North Carolina House of Commons during the Revolutionary War (1778-

1782). He then was a state senator (1783-1789), was a representative to the constitutional

convention of 1788, and was the sheriff of Orange County in 1789 and 1790. He died about 1825.

Most documents state that his “exact burial place is unknown.” However, in 1992, Tom McCauley

of Durham reported that his father and his step-grandmother, “an avid genealogist,” both stated

that William was buried “in the family graveyard on his homeplace.”

CURRENT STATUS OF THE CEMETERY AND GROUNDS

As of this writing I have visited the Cemetery three times, first just to locate it, and then to

photograph and survey the site. Since Rod McCauley’s email which ignited the current interest

and follow-up, the Davie Poplar Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and

the CHHS have contacted UNC. A UNC grounds crew had indeed been there and I could tell from

the chainsaw sawdust that they had removed trees and branches which had fallen into the

cemetery from nearby. They also trimmed some of the Leyland Cypress trees which had branched

over the graves and blocked the entrance. Today I spoke at length with Mr. Ed Kerwin, OWASA

Executive Director, in a very productive conversation which clarified a number of issues. The

cottage and the site are actually on land leased to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority

(hereafter, OWASA) by UNC. And so, it is OWASA that is actually responsible for the site at this

time. Mr. Kerwin is the long time Executive Director of OWASA and he was unaware of issues

presented by the Cemetery and the other items noted below. He informed me that they had on

OWASA staff Bob Glosson who serves as Assistant Lake Warden. He did not know whether this

person was the Warden mentioned several times over the years by visitors and grave surveyors.

He and I will speak again soon once he has had time to investigate the various matters. We agreed

to remain in touch and update one another, and we agreed that it is in no one’s best interest to

restrict visitation to the Cemetery.

There are three marked graves with incised headstones. Three brass plates were placed adjacent

to the headstones much later, repeating what was carved in the sandstone headstones, text which

was becoming indistinct due to the depredations of time and weather on the sandstone. One such

plate indicated that Matthew’s date of death was 1821 not 1832 as the headstone

declares. Martha’s and Matthew’s graves and stones are located in the rear, first row, on the left.

The third marked grave site was for a great-grandson who died at age 21, but further research is

needed regarding that and the other burials. My first impression was that either someone had

vandalized Matthew’s headstone or possibly that a tree had fallen on it. The stone was lying

almost flat and there is a large piece missing from the right shoulder of the stone (which,

fortunately, does not seem to have carried much of the inscription with it). I did not see the large

fragment in the cemetery and the break in the stone seems dated. It left me wondering if the

break may have occurred years ago. Anyhow, the headstone is knocked flat. When I spoke later

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with Rod McCauley, he informed me that when he had visited in 2016, a large tree had fallen on

the headstone. Said tree was too large for him to move, but it was clearly taken out by the UNC

crew in February of 2017. Having learned that much I am assuming that the tree broke the

headstone and that the fragment is probably buried in the organic debris around that grave.

Having traveled with archeologists for decades, I know not to disturb a site and to take only

pictures. The Cemetery itself is now free of trash but has accumulated so much leaf mold that the

stones which mark the other graves are mostly buried (assuming that they are there). The only

native stones I found were marking a grave on the right hand side next to the fence. I would

assume that the other stone markers are possibly still in place. Whose graves they designate is not

known, but they are included on the plat created in 1972. The corners of the Cemetery are

demarcated by attractive stacked and mortared rock pilings or piers. The front of the Cemetery

has two additional piers from which hangs a still functional wrought iron gate. A now very rusted

metal dogwood blossom is attached to the center of the gate and it faces outward to visitors. Split

rails once constituted the fence around the Cemetery and they stretched from piling to piling. I

would guess that they were placed in 1992 when the site experienced a major renovation. UNC is

aware of the need for new split rails.

One can see other well-meaning attempts to create an attractive site. Probably in 1992, or later,

rows of Leyland Cypress trees were planted around the Cemetery. When these trees are exposed

to full sunlight they retain their pleasing conical shape. However, since 1992, when they were

likely planted, they grew under a deciduous canopy, and this shaded circumstance produced

gangly and sprawling trees which intruded into the site with branches which sometimes fractured.

UNC took out some of the offending branches, but it would seem that all of those trees should be

removed. It appears that local myrtle, laurel, or similar shrubs or trees were also planted here and

there and they grew similarly to the Leylands. Landscape contractors know that black plastic

placed over soil which is then covered with mulch will prevent the growth of weeds and will

present a pleasing buffer. Such was apparently done around the entire site, probably in 1972.

This plastic when it is shaded from ultraviolet light does not decompose readily. It is now in torn

strips and is partially exposed in the four-foot margins around the fences. It contributes greatly to

the generally trashy appearance of the site.

There is an astonishing hillside of trash presumably generated by the residents of the cottage over

the years. It consists of barbeque grills, coolers, garbage cans, soda and beer cans, and much

much more. I glanced through the cottage windows and there were a few personal belongings but

any big pieces of furniture had been taken. There were pictures still on the walls. The collapsing

barn was full of tools, rope, electrical cables, furniture, and fish and animal traps and fishing

tackle. This building has large pieces of metal roofing which have now fallen off or flap in the wind.

Once the wooden infrastructure of such a building is exposed to the elements, it is only a few

seasons before it all begins to decay and then collapse. I give it about three years at most in this

case. In the meantime it will be dangerous for trespassers to tread upstairs in the barn. There is a

lean-to addition to the right side of the barn which houses more discards and is similarly impaired.

Behind the barn is more junk but also two canoes and a flat bottomed wooden boat.

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The carport which is attached to the back of the house contained more tools, two large Honda

outboard motors, and bicycles. Between my second and third visits, someone had discovered the

Honda motors and the engine cover of one had been removed. Both had been newly turned on

their sides. There is a metal utility shed located to the right of the house. While the house is

locked, this little building is not, and there is a goodly collection of tools inside. Down the hill

behind the house and below the cemetery, there is some sort of enclosure secured into the

hillside. My guess is that it served as a “deer stand” for the caretaker. There is a long row of deer

skulls and antlers once displayed neatly on the wall of the shed attached to the right side of the

barn. The artist had even encircled the skulls with strings of Christmas lights.

From the road, with the grass mowed, with the playground equipment to the left of the house,

and with a bicycle or two in the carport, persons in vehicles coming up the driveway could

conclude that the residence was occupied and then back away. Since it has clearly been

discovered (note the Honda outboard motors), it seems as if the site could soon be subject to

larcenies and possible break-ins. I hope that OWASA (and UNC on whose property this site is

located) will want to salvage what has value, remove what is collapsing, and clear the trash. I will

speak below to possible longer term ideas for the Cemetery and grounds.

When Milton Forsyth, the indefatigable documentarian of lost and forgotten Orange County

cemeteries, visited and photographed the site in 2005 he found it to be “well-kept.” He referred

to the restoration of the cemetery in 1992 when the chain link fence was replaced by rock pillars

or pilings and split rails. Milton was admitted to the site by one Bob Glosson who lived in the

cottage by the cemetery and identified himself as the University Lake “warden.” It would appear

that the most recent resident has vacated the cottage and property in the near recent past. It

does appear that some months have elapsed since someone lived there.

TIMELINE FOR THE McCAULEY CEMETERY

1811 Matthew, now 61, drafted his comprehensive Will this year. With mortality on his mind,

perhaps he also sited a location for his burial and a family cemetery. This location was at a

high point on the ridge overlooking the Morgan Creek Valley, on his own property, and

near Jones Ferry Road as well as the “big road’ from Hillsborough to Pittsboro which had

existed for many years before Chapel Hill was founded. Jones Ferry Road is also a historic

road running southwest out of Chapel Hill which would have provided ready access to the

Cemetery in the 19th century. It is not certain whether it existed at the time that Matthew

was buried.

1821 This is the correct date of Matthew’s death at age 70. Presumably he was buried at this

time and may have been the first burial in the Cemetery.

1844 Martha died at age 88 and was buried at the Cemetery. A comparison of the gravestones

reveals identically formatted very brief inclusions of data, identical “arched” stones, and

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nearly identical stylized carved inscriptions. Note the letter “I” in the photographs which

allows comparison of the headstone inscriptions. The simplest explanation is that the

headstones were created by the same artisan after Martha’s death and sufficiently long

after Matthew’s death that the artisan did not notice the improbable and incorrect death

date.

1872 This was the death and burial of Charles at age 21, a great-grandson. Inasmuch as he is

buried in the middle of the Cemetery, Row 2 (of 3 rows of graves), one could reason that

there were burials of other family members both before and after Charles.

1932 Morgan Creek was dammed and University Lake formed. The caretaker’s cottage was

relocated from the edges of Morgan Creek to the Cemetery, and the site was incorporated

into a seasonal recreational facility just yards down the hill. OWASA now administers these

properties and facilities.

1939 A memorial plaque with brief biographical data was placed this year by Matthew’s

descendants on the large rock at the foot of Matthew’s grave. Whether this rock was

always part of the site or was moved in order to display the plaque is not known. The

chain link fence, replaced in 1992, was likely installed at this time. Dr. Frank Porter

Graham, president of the University, spoke, honoring the donors of land to UNC.

1972 Beatrice Doak surveyed the Cemetery and created the plat. Note trees and stumps of

significant radius in her plat, suggesting that the Cemetery may have been long neglected

such that two major hardwoods could have matured within the Cemetery itself.

1992 In this year the Morrow family, at the bicentennial of the McCauley gifts of land to help

found UNC, and “in devoted memory of John Charles Morrow III,” a descendant of

Matthew and Martha, funded a major restoration of the Cemetery. A landscape architect

was consulted, and the cyclone fence was removed and replaced by stacked stone piers

and split rails. Brass markers were placed next to the three headstones, repeating the

carved inscriptions, and a plaque was placed at the entrance.

1992 On October 10, 1992, a McCauley Reunion and celebration of UNC’s bicentennial was held

at the Damascus Congregational Christian Church (the church Matthew helped found in

1797) to commemorate the UNC bicentennial and the gifts of land. C.D. Spangler,

president of the UNC system, was the principal speaker and McCauley descendants from

throughout the country attended.

2005 Milton Forsyth surveyed the Cemetery and photographed it.

2017 Dr. William Burlingame of the Chapel Hill Historical Society surveyed the Cemetery and

created this documentation. An inquiry and visit by Rod McCauley of Florida alerted

parties (except OWASA) and led to a clean-up by a UNC grounds crew. Dr. Burlingame and

the Society will continue to advocate for the Cemetery and to document the McCauley

history. Much work remains to be completed as detailed below.

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POSSIBLE SHORT-TERM GOALS

1. Determine who the parties are that have legal and administrative responsibilities for the

site known as The McCauley Family Cemetery

2. Secure written or oral permission for CHHS to continue to visit, photograph, and advocate

for the restoration and maintenance of the Cemetery

3. Contact Allen Dew of Cemetery Census and provide data to update the listing for The

McCauley Family Cemetery

4. Provide material to the Register of Deeds for Orange County to update the Orange County

Cemetery file

5. Attempt to secure a commitment to replace the split rails at the Cemetery

6. Develop a plan to repair and to re-install the Matthew and Martha McCauley headstones

to be undertaken in consultation with professional entities. Secure professional

consultation regarding the stabilization of the surfaces of the three head- and footstones.

7. Consider restoring, replacing, or removing the corroded metal dogwood blossom on the

gate.

8. Develop a plan to deal with the Leyland Cypresses and other shrubs surrounding the

Cemetery; remove the remnants of black plastic sheeting around the perimeter

9. Constitute an ad hoc or standing committee consisting of the representatives of OWASA,

UNC, CHHS, the DAR, the McCauley descendants, representatives from Chapel Hill and

Carrboro if interested, consultants, and interested parties to address short-term and long

term goals and lingering questions regarding the history of the McCauleys

10. Consider securing media coverage

11. Consider developing funding resources for those items which are beyond the missions of

OWASA and UNC; develop a funding mechanism for accepting donations

12. Determine whether there is a national organization of McCauley descendants, and if not,

advocate for creating such an entity

13. Contact local McCauley descendants to determine interest in creating the support groups

noted above

14. Continue research to validate, correct, and to extend the above historical synopsis;

attempt to identify the other burials at the Cemetery.

15. Encourage the clean-up of the hillside, the removal of the barn, and the disposition of the

multitude of loose and unsightly items

16. Secure the assignment of routine and ongoing maintenance responsibilities, and in time,

an advisory group to consult and advise regarding the Cemetery

17. Advocate for a roadside historical marker denoting Matthew McCauley’s grave and/or

Cemetery.

18. Collaborate with OWASA and UNC to facilitate visitation by the public and McCauley

descendants to the Cemetery

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POSSIBLE LONG TERM GOALS

1. Consider assisting in convening a summer meeting and possible reunion in 2017 or 2018 of

McCauley descendants who would attend a program undertaken by CHHS, visit the

Cemetery, involve themselves in planning for its rejuvenation, and generating funding to

support these activities

2. Consider the feasibility of undertaking and supporting the creation of “McCauley Park,”

consisting of picnic tables, a children’s playground, and parking in front of the Cemetery, to

augment and encourage visitation. The existing cottage could be sold and removed by

OWASA or converted into a small on-site museum. Utilities are already in place, and

restrooms could be added. Interpretive panels could be installed. With additional

resources, OWASA or perhaps the town of Carrboro could administer the Park.

ADDENDUM

In creating this summary of history and attaching related photographs, many secondary

sources and only a few primary documents were consulted. The data are frequently

contradictory and some mistakes are continued through further iterations. If readers find

errors or have information which elaborates and adds to this document, please advise me

using the contact information below. Feel free to forward this document and the

photographs to interested parties and particularly to McCauley descendants. This

document is not copyright protected nor are the photographs or any of the quoted

material to the best of my knowledge. As further research is undertaken and as this

process proceeds, I anticipate additional updates in later 2017. If you would like to be

included in mailings, please advise me. Please contact me if a contribution in dollars or in

kind is contemplated. Please become familiar with and support the Chapel Hill Historical

Society, under whose auspices this project has been undertaken.

Bill Burlingame March 14, 2017

William V. Burlingame, Ph.D.

2793 Pickard Mill Lane

Hillsborough, NC 27278

919-967-5383

wvb5@bellsouth.net

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DIRECTIONS TO THE McCAULEY FAMILY CEMETERY:

FOLLOW MAIN STREET WEST THROUGH CARRBORO TO JONES FERRY ROAD.

CROSS UNDER NC 54 BYPASS, PASS WILLOW CREEK SHOPPING CENTER ON

THE RIGHT, AND AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT, TURN LEFT ONTO SOUTH OLD

FAYETTEVILLE ROAD. GO 400 FEET AND TURN RIGHT ONTO UNIVERSITY LAKE

DRIVE. SEE THE WHITE COTTAGE TO THE LEFT. THE CEMETERY IS JUST

BEHIND AND TO THE LEFT OF THE COTTAGE.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1. UNC’s clean-up of the Cemetery. Photo provided by UNC to Richard Ellington.

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Figure 2. The Warden’s cottage, apparently vacated, viewed as one ascends to the site. All photos by Bill Burlingame on 2/28/17 unless otherwise noted.

Figure 3. Entering the cemetery with the corroded metal dogwood blossom on the gate.

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Figure 4. Plat created by Beatrice Doak in 1972, as modified by bb in 3/17.

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Figure 5. Collapsed fence and Martha’s grave.

Figure 6. Martha’s headstone.

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Figure 7. Matthew’s fallen and damaged headstone.

Figure 8. Composite view of the three headstones, suggesting that Martha’s and Matthew’s stones were fashioned by the same artisan at approximately the same time.