Skip to main content

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway - Eastern Orange County: Hillsborough to Durham

Image
By
Quietly hidden from US 70 and I-85 is one of the more lengthy segments of the Old Central Highway in the Piedmont.  Old NC 10 as it is known runs east from NC 86 just south of Hillsborough to US 70 just west of NC 751.  This twisty seven mile ride doesn't have any old roadside gas stations or motels or any other Roadside America artifacts.  What it does have are three low-clearance railroad trestles, a rural charm, and the history of once being part of the most important route in the state.
 
Although the beginning of Old NC 10 at NC 86 is rather inconsequential, not that far after the road begins the defining features of this back road come into play.  The highway begins to include some of the S-curves that were tight enough to have the road bypassed by a new NC 10/US 70 in the late 1920s. Soon after, the first rail trestle comes into sight - which is also located near one of the tight S-curves. This is the first of three rail trestles to cross over Old NC 10.  This is one of two Norfolk Southern Mainline rail trestles that cross Old NC 10.
   
The middle part of Old NC 10 is mixed with history.  The highway passes the grounds of the former Murphy School, which is now a private residence.  The site has been listed as a Study Area for the National Register of Historic Places since 1992.  Next, the highway passes the grounds of Mount Herman Baptist Church which was founded in 1848.  The next piece of history comes from the second rail trestle.   The trestle, which crosses over the old highway at the bottom of a ravine, carries what is known as the University Spur.  The University Spur was built in 1882 to connect Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina to the Durham-Greensboro Southern Railway.  The terminus of this spur was located one mile to the west of campus and would ultimately initiate the growth of what is now the town of Carrboro.  Just north of this crossing is the tiny community of University.  The name is a direct result of the station that was placed there to serve those going to and from Chapel Hill.  However, the railroad name for the station is Glenn. (1)  The University Spur still carries coal to the power plant on UNC's campus.
 
Much of Old NC 10 is lined by tall southern pines, sprawling farms, and well-kept rural homesteads.  Gone are the one-lane bridges that carried the highway over Stony and Rhodes Creeks.  These bridges were still intact during the 1950s. (2)   The main line of the Norfolk-Southern crosses old NC 10 again near the highway's eastern end.  Again, a very tight and blind S-curve is involved.  Old NC 10 comes to an end at Business US 70 just west of NC 751 and Duke Forest.  It's an enjoyable detour for those wanting a different pace of travel and a chance to experience part of North Carolina's rich transportation history.

All photos taken by post author - April 2005

Example of one of the Old NC 10 S-Curves

The west trestle that carries the Norfolk Southern Railroad over Old NC 10

A closer view of the NS trestle and the sharp bend immediately after the structure

The University Spur trestle

The second and eastern most Norfolk Southern mainline trestle is also followed by a sharp bend


  • (1) Powell, William S. The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places.  Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, 1968.
  • (2) Old West Durham Neighborhood Association.  "Road to Erwin Mills." http://www.owdna.org/history24.htm (August 28, 2005)
  • Historic NC 10 ---Dave Filpus
  • NC 10/Central Highway @ NCRoads.com ---Matt Steffora
  • William Nichols
    • Labels:

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

    By
    After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
    4 comments
    Read more

    Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

    By
      The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

    By
      Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
    Post a Comment
    Read more