The Carolina Inn
History
Located in the historic district of Chapel Hill, the Carolina Inn was built in 1924 by John Sprunt Hill, 1889 alum of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and founder of the Bank of Durham. Arthur C. Nash designed the inn and termed the building style "Southern Colonial" for its Georgian, Neoclassical and European influences. From the day it opened, the inn has been a gathering place for students, faculty, returning alumni and local townspeople.
After operating the inn as a private enterprise for a decade, Hill donated the property to the University in 1935 to serve as "a cheerful inn for visitors, a town hall for the state, and a home for returning sons and daughters of alma mater." The only stipulation? After meeting its standard expenses, the profits generated by the facility would support the University Library. In 1995, the Carolina Inn was completely refurbished at a cost of $16.5 million, adding 56 rooms and many modern amenities, while still preserving its trademark atmosphere of hospitable charm with period antiques dating back to the early 1920s. UNC still owns the Carolina Inn.
