Paper: How has the Old Well on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill changed in physical appearance throughout its history?

The Old Well on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the most recognized symbols of the historic school. The image is everywhere, from advertisements for class rings to the Undergraduate Bulletin, the General Alumni Association T-shirts to the graduation certificate displays in Student Stores. History books for the university use the Old Well image on the cover and even the official university website features the Old Well as its background.
Why is the image of the Old Well so closely connected to UNC? After all, it is just a “neoclassical rotunda.”2 Many, however, hail it as the “visual symbol of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”3 Since the Old Well has been so forcefully pushed as a representative for the university, it stands to reason that the history of the Old Well is closely related to the university it symbolizes. The following research examines this connection even further by answering the simple question: how has the Old Well on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill changed in physical appearance throughout its history?

Methodology
This history spans from Chapel Hill’s first inception in 1793 when the first cornerstone for the university was laid4 through present day 2007. The major shifts in physical attributes can be organized into four distinct time periods which are as follows: the original well construction in 1795; from 1795 to reconstruction in 1897; from reconstruction to renovations in 1954; and from 1954 to the present day.5
Our research mainly focused on historical records, museums, and books. Several interviews were conducted as well, namely with Sarah Brandes Madry, the author of Well Worth a Shindy, a book entirely dedicated to the Old Well’s design and history. While there is an emphasis in our research on the physicality of the Old Well, the real focus is the history of the university which can be seen through the changes of Old Well. Just as the changes in the White House can be examined to understand major elements of United States history, so too can the Old Well be used to visibly illustrate the history of UNC.

The Original Well Construction, 1795
The Old Well was originally built soon after the board of trustees of the University of North Carolina decreed its construction on January 21, 17952 and was built to be the main water supply for the first public university in the United States. The well design was solely functional and like any typical well-house of the time. A basic, cone-shaped roof supported by several wooden poles sheltered the actual well which was made of wood as well and not completely un-reminiscent of the structure today (See Picture 1, Appendix). The school had itself only been open for a few months when the well was built thus giving the two a similar start to their interlinked stories.6
The area claimed for the Old Well had hitherto been untouched. No permanent settlement existed in the area before the university was commissioned. The town of Chapel Hill was built in service to the university and would not have existed without it. The same can be said for the Old Well. If the university had not been founded in that area, the Old Well and the town of Chapel Hill either would not have existed or would have had very different histories.6
The opening of the university and thus the construction of the Old Well had meaning well beyond the borders of Orange County. The charter to build UNC was first introduced during the same month that the US Constitution, which included the three-fifths compromise, was first ratified by the North Carolina legislature in 1789. The birth of the university therefore, closely corresponded to the birth of the country.6
The three-fifths compromise was an agreement to count slaves as three-fifths of a person when calculating state populations and the number of representatives per state in the House of Representatives. Slavery was a large part of North Carolina culture at the time and both the university and the Old Well were built by slave labor. Thus the physical changes of the Old Well were brought about by the origin of a university, the birth of a country, and the institution of slave labor.6

From Original Construction to Reconstruction in 1897
The year 1897 saw a shift from the old, solely practical structure of the Old Well (see Figure 2, Appendix). Because the University was in such a bad state at the conclusion of the Civil War, a massive renovation was commenced under the direction of President Battle. He never quite reached the Old Well specifically, but his successor, President Alderman, did. Under much controversy, Alderman decided to rebuild the well based on the Temple of Love at the palace of Versailles (see Figure 3, Appendix).2
This design and its construction held many layered meanings in the context of the period. The school itself had been closed for five years during the Civil War and was in serious danger of not reopening. The town of Chapel Hill, not to mention of North Carolina and the entire South, was in a state of political and social confusion. The unpopularity of various school presidents, the drastic changes in government appointments with the enforced inclusion of blacks, and low funds all contributed to low student body counts. The school did reopen, however, with the support of many influential local citizens.6 At the most basic, therefore, the continued existence of the Old Well is a testament to the survival of the school through that turbulent period.2
The design choice was very specific as well. Alderman meant for the structure to encourage loyalty to the Union by reaffirming the people’s faith in public education; to show the Union’s ability to honor the past; and to symbolize the progressiveness and thus the quality of the university itself. 2 Alderman’s concept and design has remained for the most part unchanged since 1897.7

From Reconstruction to Renovations in 1954
It wasn’t’ until 1954 that the structure was altered again when another large renovation project of the university touched the Old Well. Benches were installed, the landscaping was changed, steps were added, and the roof was slightly lowered (see figure 4, Appendix). These small alterations were the only evidence of the much wider and far-reaching changes which the university had undergone in the years since 1897.2
Towards the end of World War II the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 was passed. Among its many benefits to veterans was the guaranteed access to higher education. At the time, UNC was still a mainly white elitist university and the sudden influx of veterans caused many shifts. A huge increase was experienced in the numbers of the student body and the campus was nowhere near the capacity necessary to hold the numbers coming in. To accommodate the new numbers, growth occurred, sporadically, not always healthfully, and sometimes permanently. The campus face changed drastically in the short-term and experienced many changes for the long term as well. A ten-year project of doubling the facilities on campus was undertaken. The updating of the Old Well was one of the last products of this large overhaul.8
Just as the Old Well was altered to be more accommodating for visitors to its locale, so too had the university been altered to be more open to students of all ethnicities, economic status, and numbers. While by no means at the level of tolerance the university has today, the construction did symbolize another beginning to a better era for the university.

From 1954 to the Present Day
The modern day Old Well has changed in many ways that are not very obvious to the naked eye. The flow of people around the Old Well has changed in numbers and demographics over the years, from the solely white composition of its original student body to the racial and social class mix of today. The Old Well’s location on campus is no longer as central as it used to be as the university has sprawled further south, west, and east moving the Old Well away from its original dominant location as the core of campus life (see Maps 1 through 4, Appendix) and the modifications and evolution of infrastructure of the university has been reflected in the continued improvements to the water source for the Old Well as well as the lighting providing in the surrounding area.
Besides these physical changes that can be observed on campus itself, the image of the Old Well has been modified and evolved to serve the local, national, and global image of the entire university. With the dawn of the information age, the Old Well has once more been transformed in the world of the Internet, but instead of changing to one, new physicality, the Old Well now took on many. Figures 5 through 8 are just a few of these new depictions. The Old Well has even been copyrighted as an official logo for the university.9

While most students when asked what the Old Well means to them will merely shrug their shoulders in a noncommittal reply, a change in the situation and threaten to tear down the Old Well and a very different, much more emotional response will be elicited. The Old Well is not just another monument on campus, but is the most compact visual illustration of the university today.
As stated by Sarah Brandes Madry when asked how recognizable she felt the image of the Old Well is, she replied with “One word – Very.” 7 The Old Well has evolved from the solely functional form of its early years to an elegant architectural monument on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill. As the Old Well had evolved in form and function, so too has the university. “It is truly a powerful symbol of the history of education within this state, of the history of the rise of this state from its early poverty and backwardness.” 7 Well said Ms. Madry; we quite agree.