McCorkle Place

McCorkle Place

McCorkle Place, the forested quad stretching from Franklin Street to Cameron Avenue, is the center of the university's original campus. This space holds some of the university's iconic emblems and monuments, including Old East, the Old Well, the Davie Poplar, Caldwell Monument, Unsung Founders Memorial, and Confederate Monument (removed in 2018—19). The quad is on the National Register of Historic Places.

It is named in honor of Samuel Eusebius McCorkle, farmer, slave owner, Presbyterian minister, and educator. McCorkle, along with William R. Davie, successfully campaigned for a state-supported university. He was a founding member of the UNC Board of Trustees and is credited with influencing the quadrangle-based design of the campus, modeled after universities in England.