Deep Dish Teams with Preservation Society for Cemetery Tour 10/29

Voices from the Grave: Haunted Walking Tour of the Chapel Hill Cemetery October 29, 2010, 7 pm to 10 pm.

The Old Chapel Hill Cemetery is one of the oldest and spookiest places in town and on October 29 you'll see why. In an effort to highlight the history and need for preservation of Chapel Hill's oldest cemetery, the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill and Deep Dish Theater Company are teaming for a special event.

Voices from the Grave is an event that dramatically brings back to life some of the most famous, and infamous, residents of the cemetery. From former slaves, to World War II and Civil War soldiers, to victims of unsolved murders, the tour will invite guest to hear the stories of those who met untimely deaths or had tortured lives. The cemetery began in 1798 with the first burial of a UNC student and is currently on the National Register of Historic Places.

But in the past two decades, the cemetery has faced challenges from neglect and vandalism. The Preservation Society began working to preserve the historic site in 1985 after the African-American section of the cemetery was used as a parking lot during a UNC - Clemson football game. Since then the Society has working on headstone conservation projects, and most recently conducted a ground penetrating radar study to look for lost graves.

"Since Chapel Hill is a Halloween town, we hope to use the event to introduce people to the history and the need for future stewardship" said Ernest Dollar, Preservation Society executive director. Working with Dollar on the program is John Paul Middlesworth. Middlesworth, an accomplished writer and actor, will be taking the helm as director for the unique production. Starting at the Rebecca Clark Gazebo, Middlesworth's tour will take visitors on a eerie voyage into the darker side of Chapel Hill's rich past.

For more information visit www.chapelhillpreservation.com/haunted.htm

Advanced tickets are encouraged for the tour and are being sold through the Preservation Society (919) 942-7818 or in person at the Horace Williams House at 610 E. Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill.