CHAPEL HILL

chapel hill, a town of orange county, north carolina, u.s.a., about 28 m. n.w. of raleigh. pop. (1900) 1099; (1910) 1149. it is served by a branch of the southern railway, connecting at university, 10 m. distant, with the greensboro & goldsboro division. the town is best known as the seat of the university of north carolina (see north carolina), whose campus contains 48 acres. there are cotton and knitting mills and lumber interests of some importance. chapel hill was settled late in the 18th century, and was first incorporated in 1851. chapelle ardente (fr. "burning chapel"), the chapel or room in which the corpse of a sovereign or other exalted personage lies in state pending the funeral service. the name is in allusion to the many candles which arc lighted round the catafalque. this custom is first chronicled as occurring at the obsequies of dagobert i. (602-638).