Please read the entire description before attempting this cache.
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We think of cemeteries as places of death, as tangible representations of the rift between the living and the dead. But they are far more than a resting place for the dead. Cemeteries are not merely the resting place of old bones and marble markers. They are a link to our past, a memorial to those who have gone before, to those who shaped towns, cities, and states and made them into the places which we love.
Walk through the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery and you walk through time itself. Buried here is the triumph of conquering the American wilderness, the bitter legacy of slavery, the tragedy of the Civil War, the confusion of Reconstruction and the achievements of North Carolina's most accomplished sons and daughters. Bridge the rift between the living and the dead and take a tour through Chapel Hill's history.
- Dallas Smith
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This is a dusk/evening cache. It is recommended to be on-site in the cemetery about 1 hour before dusk so that you may find the clues while you have some daylight left. The cemetery is located on a university campus and is open 24/7. It has lighted, paved paths leading through it. It's not uncommon to see students walking through it or sitting in the gazebo at night. That said, there's no reason to invite trouble and using flashlights to search for clues after night falls might draw unwarranted attention, therefore it is recommended to try to complete the cemetery portion of this cache before night actually falls. If you're someone who likes to take pictures or otherwise wander in cemeteries, plan to arrive more than 1 hour before dusk.
The final of this cache is designed to be a night-time experience. It may be possible to find it during the day, but it is not designed for that. If you determine the coordinates and it is still daylight, you may wish to wait until dusk to search.
The recommended size of a search group is 3 or 4. Five may be OK. If you have a group of 7, 8, or more searchers, you probably will draw attention to yourselves and the cache location, potentially ruining the experience for future finders. So please try to limit your group size and behave respectfully!
| Clue |
Location |
What to find |
| A |
N 35 54.655 W 79 2.639 |
At this location, you’ll see the grave of a famous North Carolinian born in 1934. The adjacent grave is for his wife. ‘A’ is the number of characters in his wife’s middle name. |
| B |
N 35 54.670 W 79 2.699 |
This location is in the old slave portion of the cemetery. At these coordinates, you’ll find the marker for a man born in 1802 and erected by a descendent of the slave’s owner. ‘B’ is the last digit in this man’s year of death. |
| C |
N 35 54.686 W 79 2.728 |
Here you’ll find the headstone of a mason who was born in 1848. ‘C’ is the last digit in his age at death. |
| D |
N 35 54.678 W 79 2.659 |
At this location, you’ll find two markers for persons named Frances Phillips. One of them mentions an occupation and employer. ‘D’ is the total number of lines of text on that stone. |
| E |
N 35 54.670 W 79 2.599 |
At this location, you’ll find several Coffins. Locate the most recent date for any of the Coffins. ‘E’ is the day of the month of the most recent date. |
| F |
N 35 54.633 W 79 2.667 |
Find a stone for someone with the last name Peacock that has a latin phrase inscribed on it. ‘F’ is the number of latin words minus this man’s suffix (Sr. =1, Jr.=2, …) |
| G |
N 35 54.665 W 79 2.632 |
At these coordinates you’ll find a long, low stone for a woman with initials MBP. ‘G’ is the 3rd digit in her year of death. |
| H |
N 35 54.667 W 79 2.742 |
Proceed back to the slave portion of the cemetery and locate a hand-written headstone for someone born in 1843. The very last line contains a name. ‘H’ is the total number of letters in the full name, including any initials (but no spaces). |
| J |
N 35 54.680 W 79 2.584 |
Here you’ll find a large, above-ground crypt holding the remains of two persons. Look at the right inscription. 'J' is the 3rd digit in the male's year of death. |
| K |
N 35 54.666 W 79 2.666 |
Look for a large monument to a UNC student who died while enrolled. This student was born in Cumberland County. 'K' is the number of words in the 2nd line on the side containing the student's name. |
Please re-hide the cache EXACTLY as found. Thanks!
General hints for night caches:
- Let your flashlight do the work. Hold it at eye level and sweep it from side to side.
- Bring extra batteries for your flashlight and GPSr.
- If at all possible, bring a geobuddy. Night caching alone on anything except the mildest of hikes is unwise. (But please adhere to the limitations mentioned above!)
Once you've collected all the needed information, proceed to 35 AB.CDE N, 79 FG.HJK W, which is on a trail – you don’t need to bushwhack from the nearby road. You should probably keep a record of the clues you found in the cemetery until you're sure you've located the final stage. Look for shining eyes staring back at you. Follow where they lead you.
Please note that there are no physical cache or any other objects hidden in or immediately adjacent to the cemetery. You should take from it only information (and pictures, if you wish). Please be respectful of the residents, lest you incur their wrath!
While I encourage you to log your experiences, please take care to preserve the mystery of this cache for future finders. Any finders who give away specific information about the cache or the cache's location, contain revealing pictures, or otherwise unnecessarily diminish the experience for future finders, will have their log entry deleted.
Free parking is available many places on campus after 5PM on weekdays. There are metered spots on nearby streets. Some nearby residential streets offer on-street parking, but it's always a good idea to carefully observe parking signs and regulations in Chapel Hill.
And soft upon the quiet midnight, after the song was done, the bell tolled on a weird accompaniment to the tramp of the students, its tones gradually mellowing in the distance until they fell like whispers out of the sky. They ceased, the long line halted, and then parting from it, the little cortage took it's silent way down over the low-lying land which stretches toward Durham - 'going down the valley' - under the trees and the stars and the milk-white mists which hang between, and widening the rift, which is ever widening still, between the living and the dead.
-- Description of a the funeral of a 'wine-sotted sophomore' in Old Chapel Hill Cemetery, W.J. Peele, 1880
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