General Info

Burwell School Historic Site is owned and operated by the Historic Hillsborough Commission, a 501 c ( 3 ) non-profit organization. The Commision was created by an Act of the 1963 North Carolina General Assemply and the Commision's 34 members are appointed by the Governor. The Commission's mission is "to maintain and preserve Burwell School Historic Site ; to interpret the history of 19th century Hillsborough for the enrichment of the public ; and to celebrate and promote the culture and heritage of Hillsborough and Orange County".In the summer of 1837, the Burwells opened their landmark school, one of the earliest female academies in North Carolina, in a brick school building in their backyard. The school building also still stands on the property. For two decades ( 1837 - 1857 ), Burwell School educated 200 students in an academically rigorous curriculum designed by Mrs. Burwell to make them "thorough scholars and useful members of society."Burwell School was also the girlhood home of Elizabeth Hobbes Keckly, who was enslaved in the Burwell household as a teenager. Mrs. Keckly went on to become a successful businesswoman, author, activist, educator, and the confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln.During the Civil War, Burwell School acquired the nickname of the "Beehive" as it served as a temporary residence for over 30 enslaved people and members of the Collins and Warren families from coastal North Carolina.Burwell School TodayToday, Burwell School is a unique landmark facility in Historic Hillsborough. It thrives as a place of learning, offering guided tours that explore the Site's diverse history and dynamic children's heritage education programs. It also serves as a community gathering place, hosting lectures, exhibits, concerts and special events such as Neighborhood Night, Dog Day Afternoon, the Community Ice Cream Social and author readings and signings for the Hillsborough Literary Association.Burwell School is listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to a North Carolina State Road Marker that commemorates the life and work of Elizabeth Hobbes Keckly.