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

    Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

    By
      Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

    By
    Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

    By
    From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
    Post a Comment
    Read more