Sunday History Hike: Old Town Cemetery

Join historian/archaeologist Dr. Ken Ostrand for a two-hour in-depth tour of the Old Town Cemetery. Established in 1757, the Old Town Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is among North Carolina’s oldest and most historic burial grounds.

Dr. Ostrand will explore life and death in the 19th century, share some of the hidden secrets of the cemetery uncovered by recent cleanings, and discuss future plans for this ‘hidden gem’ of Hillsborough’s history. Along with noteworthy individuals such as William Hooper, one of North Carolina’s three Signers of the Declaration of Independence, the cemetery has more than one hundred graves, many belonging to some of Hillsborough’s less-known but fascinating people, including an unknown son of a governor, students from the Burwell School, and workers who built some of the region’s most important buildings.

Ostrand has a doctorate in history and archaeology, and is a former Fulbright Scholar. He has directed recent cleanups of the cemetery, and is chairperson of the Hillsborough Cemetery Committee. A retired university professor, Ostrand has numerous teaching and research awards, and has led tours of historic sites and archaeological digs around the world.