Hillsborough Street
Encyclopedia
Thoroughfare
A thoroughfare is a place of transportation intended to connect one location to another. Highways, roads, and trails are examples of thoroughfares used by a variety of general traffic. On land a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a rough trail to multi-lane highway with grade separated...
through Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The street serves as a center for social life among North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
students. Nearby Meredith College
Meredith College
Meredith College is a liberal arts women's college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were approximately 2,300 students enrolled, including about 350 graduate students, making Meredith the largest women's college in the southeastern United States...
students also frequent the street's area businesses. Numerous bars, restaurants, coffee shops, convenience stores and banks are located along a strip of Hillsborough Street that borders the university. The road is also a heavily-traveled corridor, linking the town of Cary
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
with downtown Raleigh. Additionally, the road passes by the North Carolina State Veterinarian School, North Carolina State University Centennial Biomedical Campus
North Carolina State University Centennial Biomedical Campus
The Centennial Biomedical Campus is of property owned and operated by North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. It is located five minutes west of the NC State’s main campus and is considered part of Centennial Campus, the university’s research and educational campus...
, the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Sacred Heart Cathedral, sometimes referred to as Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. The current bishop seated at the cathedral is the Most Reverend Michael Francis Burbidge. North Carolina, until 1924, was the only state in the United States of...
, and Raleigh's Pullen Park
Pullen Park
Pullen Park is a public park in Raleigh, North Carolina west of downtown, adjacent to the campus of North Carolina State University, between Western Boulevard and Hillsborough Street. The park features picnic areas, a concessions stand along with several small rides including the Pullen Park...
.
Geography and history
A modern alternate route to Hillsborough Street in Raleigh is Western Boulevard, which parallels the street to the south. Wade AvenueWade Avenue
Wade Avenue is a major road in the The Triangle region of North Carolina that links Interstate 40, Interstate 440 , and downtown Raleigh...
is an alternate route to Hillsborough Street to the north. Hillsborough Street terminates in the east at the North Carolina State Capitol
North Carolina State Capitol
The North Carolina State Capitol is the main house of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Housing the offices of the Governor of North Carolina, it is located in the state capital of Raleigh on Union Square at One East Edenton Street. The cornerstone of the Greek Revival building was...
at Salisbury Street. The street's western terminus is at the Cary town limits, where the roadway continues as East Chatham Street after crossing Interstate 40
Interstate 40 in North Carolina
Interstate 40 runs through the state of North Carolina from the Tennessee state line in the west to its eastern terminus in Wilmington.-Pigeon River Gorge:...
. North Carolina Highway 54 begins on Hillsborough Street at the Interstate 440 Beltline
Interstate 440 (North Carolina)
Interstate 440 in North Carolina, also known as the Raleigh Beltline and the Cliff Benson Beltline, is a 16.4-mile partial beltway that nearly encircles central Raleigh. Prior to August 2002, it was a complete loop and shared a concurrency with its parent, Interstate 40 along the loop's southern...
interchange and travels west for one mile (1.6 km) before forking onto Chapel Hill Road. NCSU's Bell Tower is clearly visible at the street's intersection with Pullen Road. Hillsborough Street takes its name from the city Hillsborough
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
, a former capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of North Carolina. Like many downtown Raleigh streets, the street's name is derived from a city of the same name in the state; though, initially the street was named Hillsboro Road and was a country road many people used to drive to Hillsborough. The street was first constructed in 1792 as part of the capital city's initial layout.
The land comprising Hillsborough Street was once the site of the plantation of David Cameron. Cameron established St. Mary's College on Hillsborough Street; the school later became a private girls' school, St. Mary's School. A streetcar traversing Hillsborough Street connected North Carolina State University to Raleigh shortly after the college was built.
The street was the site of North Carolina's largest anti-Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
marches, with 10,000 people, including UNC
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
students, protesting the war.
Places of worship
Hillsborough Street is home to many notable and historic churches of Raleigh. These churches include:- Sacred Heart CathedralSacred Heart Cathedral (Raleigh, North Carolina)Sacred Heart Cathedral, sometimes referred to as Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. The current bishop seated at the cathedral is the Most Reverend Michael Francis Burbidge. North Carolina, until 1924, was the only state in the United States of...
- Pullen Memorial Baptist ChurchPullen Memorial Baptist ChurchPullen Memorial Baptist Church is an 850-member Baptist church located in Raleigh, North Carolina, US, that has a decades-long tradition of progressive stands on social issues. These have encompassed civil rights for African Americans and other minorities...
- First Church of Christ, ScientistFirst Church of Christ, Scientist (Raleigh, North Carolina)First Church of Christ, Scientist is a historic Christian Science church located on Hillsborough Street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Worship services are held weekly on Sundays and Wednesdays. The church's reading room is located on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh....
- Hillyer Memorial Christian ChurchHillyer Memorial Christian Church (Raleigh, North Carolina)Hillyer Memorial Christian Church is a historic church in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina located on Hillsborough Street. The church is affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. The current church was built in 1915. The church is named after the Hillyer family, who were patrons of the church and...
- Free Church of the Good Shepherd
Basketball victories
After the NC State basketball team won the national championship in 1983, students converged on Hillsborough Street to celebrate, with at least one injury to a police officer. Subsequently, the police department cracked down on problem bars on Hillsborough Street, which resulted in many bar closures. The closures included seven bars located at Hillsborough Square.Hillsborough Hike
Occurring on the last day of classes (before final exams), NCSU students participate in a bar crawl that starts at one end of Hillsborough Street and ends at the other. The goal of the event, known as the Hillsborough Hike, is to get a drink from every bar.Haunted Hillsborough Hike
In 2007, thousands of NCSU students and Raleighites celebrated HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
on Hillsborough Street during the first organized Haunted Hillsborough Hike. This hike occurred in addition to the traditional end of semester hikes; its organization was partially motivated as a NCSU response to the large annual Halloween celebration on rival UNC Chapel Hill's Franklin Street.
Paint the Town Red
As part of NCSU's homecomingHomecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
week since 2006, many businesses along Hillsborough Street agree to have groups of NCSU students paint their windows red, the main athletic color of the NC State Wolfpack
NC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
. The spectacle was deemed "Paint the Town Red". Also, for homecoming week each year, the annual NCSU Homecoming Parade uses a segment of Hillsborough Street for its parade route.
WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade
An annual ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
is held along Hillsborough Street and various other Raleigh streets every November. The event, sponsored by WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
attracts Raleighites, NCSU students, and visitors from around the area.
Krispy Kreme Challenge
The Krispy KremeKrispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme is the name of an international chain of doughnut stores that was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The parent company of Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc...
Challenge, a race invented and organized by NC State Park Scholars with a majority of runners attending NC State, is a new NC State tradition which attracted over 7,500 runners in 2010. Part of Hillsborough Street is closed in order for runners to make their way from the NC State Bell Tower to the Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme is the name of an international chain of doughnut stores that was founded by Vernon Rudolph in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The parent company of Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc...
on Peace Street. The objective is to run to the Krispy Kreme, eat a box of doughnut
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
s and run back to the Bell Tower in under one hour. The event raises money to support the North Carolina Children's Hospital, and in 2010 raised $122,000.
Notable businesses
One of the most notable businesses on Hillsborough Street is Players' Retreat; a saloon that opened more than 50 years ago. The bar encompasses a former restaurant, the Morning Room, which served as the unofficial headquarters of Hargrove Bowles' 1972 gubernatorial campaign against Jim Holshauser. It was also a frequent hangout of the Wolfpack basketball players, of Norman Sloan, in the 1970s. Mitch's Tavern was used for scenes in the film Bull DurhamBull Durham
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
in the 1980s. The publishing company Lulu is headquartered on Hillsborough Street.
Redesign
After a study was conducted in 2002, the city of Raleigh proceeded with efforts to revitalize and redesign Hillsborough Street and the surrounding area. The project was intended to rejuvenate the area, improve traffic flow, and increase pedestrian safety. City council members, however, were unable to come to a consensus on how best to accomplish this project until early 2007, when a plan to replace two traffic signals with roundaboutRoundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
s was approved. Construction was to be completed in 2008, but $9.9 million in funding was not approved until March 2009. NC State student Joseph Carnevale gained international attention after his arrest, in June 2009, for creating a monster out of construction barrels at the Hillsborough Street construction site. Meanwhile, officials and planners continue to disagree on where to designate customer parking, so that local businesses can increase their sales revenue.