Cranford Hall
It’s OK to admit this now, because it’s been 44 years, and the statute of limitations
on theft has surely run out.
I took a brick from Cranford Hall.
It was a souvenir, and nobody said I couldn’t take it, and I wanted something that
was part of the oldest building on UNC’s campus. So, after they’d reduced the building
to rubble, I went in and found the brick and took it. Nobody stopped me.
Cranford has quite a history. Construction began in 1890 (but wouldn’t be completed
for 12 years), making it the first building on campus. It was named for J.P. Cranford
and his wife, who donated the land for the college. The cornerstone was also a time
capsule, which contained the newspapers of the day, letters from various leaders and
some mementoes.
In March 1949, a man identified as a “student arsonist” set fire to the east wing,
destroying it. The same student set fire to Bru-Inn a few days later. He was arrested
and sentenced to prison. In 1971, the building was again set afire, this time by student
protestors, marching against President Nixon sending American troops into Cambodia.
My wife remembers Cranford smelled of formaldehyde, which is not a good smell. It
was because they once held science classes and had labs on the third floor.
Also, the building had no air conditioning, of course, so in the summer months, the
third floor would get fairly warm — over 100 degrees. Staying awake during classes — especially
after lunch — became a problem for all of us.
By 1971 Cranford was deemed unsafe and vacated, and in 1972, crowds gathered to watch
and say goodbye as the building was torn down.
I only recently learned that when they scheduled “Cranny’s” demolition, the university
planned to sell the bricks. But when they began the destruction, the bricks crumbled
into dust. They decided they couldn’t save any to sell.
Except they missed one.
–Mike Peters ’68
NOTE: The four large wooden globes that sat at the end of the staircases in Cranford disappeared when the building was destroyed. We haven’t been able to locate them on campus or find anyone who knows what happened to them. If you know, please contact us.
