The Myth of the Wilson Library Dunce Cap

Posted Nov 26, 2019
Have you heard the story that the Bell Tower was intentionally placed right behind Wilson Library so that, when viewed from South Building, the top of the tower looks like a dunce cap on the round dome of the library? The dunce cap story has been one of the enduring campus legends for decades. The story originally told was that John Motley Morehead. (UNC.edu)

Related: Campus Connections

'You can't escape the story': UNC class feels for indentations on Old East left by enslaved laborers
A class of first-year students spent an hour carefully running their hands along the grooves of Old East's brick exterior. Their goal? To find...
Sun Jun 7, 2026

Tasting the Town: The 'fryerarchy' of Chapel Hill
We have always said it is impossible to mess up french fries. However, we are also a proponent of the concept of a fry hierarchy...
Sat Jun 6, 2026

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Openings, Closings and Updates in January-March 2026
Kipos Greek Taverna returned to operations in Eastgate Crossing after months of restoration following Chantal’s flooding last summer. Located in the back corner of the...
Fri Jun 5, 2026

UNC Journalism School Takes Hearst Prize for 8th Consecutive Year
The University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media won the overall intercollegiate first place title at the Hearst Journalism Awards Program’s Intercollegiate...
Thu Jun 4, 2026