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A view of Franklin Street in Downtown Chapel Hill

Franklin Street is a prominent thoroughfare in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Often known as the "Main Street of North Carolina", it loosely serves as the northern border of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus and could be considered the center of social life for the school and the town, as it is home to numerous coffee shops, restaurants, music stores and bars. The street in downtown Chapel Hill is notable for its festivities, nightlife, and culture^[1]. The stretch of college-oriented businesses continues west into neighboring Carrboro. Both streets are home to small music venues, like the Cat's Cradle and the Arts Center, which were influential in the birth of Chapel Hill rock.

The intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia Street

The three-mile span is divided into West and East Franklin Streets. West Franklin begins at the intersection of South Merrit Mill Road where Carrboro's East Main Street ends. West Franklin moves east-northeast through the town's historic business district to Columbia Street, where it becomes East Franklin. East Franklin continues the straight path through the business district, passing campus and then curving north "down the hill" through some of Chapel Hill's historic neighborhoods. East Franklin Street ends just beyond Ephesus Church Road, where it morphs into U.S. Highway 15-501 towards Durham.

Named after Benjamin Franklin by the commissioners of the University (Franklin was a proponent of practical education for youth), the street has been in use under its current name since the 1790s, when construction of the University began [1]. The stretch of Franklin from Columbia to Raleigh streets borders the campus, allowing views of wooded McCorkle Place [2] (the North Quadrangle, named after Reverend Samuel E. McCorkle, who authored the original bill requesting a charter from the NC General Assembly for the University in 1784). McCorkle Place is home to some of the school's oldest structures: Old East and Old West Dormitories, Person Hall (originally the University chapel), the South Building (main administration building), and the Old Well (site of the original well for the University).

Just east of campus along Franklin Street are several of Chapel Hill's historic homes [3], including the President's House, the Samuel Phillip's House, Spencer House, Widow Puckett House, Hooper-Kyser House, the Presbyterian Manse, Kennette House, Archibald-Henderson House, and the town's first law office (known as "Mr. Sam's Law Office" - now a private residence).

Franklin Street has long been a favorite destination for entertainment and nightlife for Carolina students, Chapel Hill locals and visitors from Carrboro, Hillsborough, Durham and Raleigh. Going out for a night of revelry on Franklin Street has been known to be referred to as "going uptown".^{[citation needed]}

The colorful brick wall of an alley: one of many murals in Chapel Hill by artist Michael J. Brown^[2]

Franklin Street is home to several yearly festivals/gatherings, some of which are nationally famous:

• Victory celebrations: Students and sports fans have been known to spill out of bars and dormitories upon the victory of one of Carolina's sports teams. In most cases, a Franklin Street "bonfire" celebration is due to a victory by the men's basketball team, although other Franklin Street celebrations have stemmed from wins by the women's basketball team and women's soccer team. Upon the event the men's basketball team team reaches the national championship game, local stores are known to halt sales of Carolina-blue paint ^[3] to avoid a repeat of the 1993 jamboree which resulted in Franklin Street being painted blue by celebrating fans. After many important vicories, small bonfire]]s are started in the street by fans^{[4] [5]}.

• Halloween: Franklin Street is most notable for its Halloween celebration which ocurrs annually on October 31. Tens of thousands of all age groups attend the event each year; nearly 80,000 attended in 2004^[6]. The event is not town sponsored and the town actually discourages out-of-towners from attending; yet, an influx of non-residents decend on the town each year despite the town's suggestion ^[7]. In an attempt to promote order during the event the Town of Chapel Hill now closes the street to traffic after 8:00pm on Halloween and directs visitors to satellite parking decks around the town, from where buses can shuttle tourists to the main event area^[8]. Attendees of the event along the street most often dress up in various costumes and walk up and down the street watching various activities and and viewing other costumes.

• Apple Chill: traffic is closed off along the main business strip during the annual springtime street fair to allow for musicians, food vendors and local artists to set up shop. This festival is currently on indefinite hiatus following three shootings near the Franklin/Columbia intersection immediately after the 2006 Apple Chill ended. The Chapel Hill Town Council voted unanimously to end the festival [4].

• Hillsborough Street
• U.S. Route 15-501 in North Carolina

• Official Town Website.
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• The World Music Central guide to Chapel Hill. For cultural travelers shopsinterested in local roots music, venues, CD , instrument makers, etc.
• HTYP: Chapel Hill, NC (wiki-based directory)
• OrangePolitics Multi-author blog about progressive politics in the Chapel Hill area, founded by local activist Ruby Sinreich.
• Uniting Neighbors of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

1. ^ Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership - History of Downtown Chapel Hill and Franklin Street
2. ^ murals in Chapel Hill by artist Michael J. Brown
3. ^ Sports Fan Magazine - Students paint Franklin Street Carolina blue
4. ^ News and Observer: Bonfires mark Tar Heels' win (March 5, 2007)
5. ^ News and Observer: Radical changes for Chapel Hill celebrations
6. ^ Town of Chapel Hill: Halloween
7. ^ UNC GradSchool - Lifestyles: Halloween on Franklin Street
8. ^ Town of Chapel Hill: Halloween 2005 Parking