Order of Gimghoul: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Collegiate secret society in North Carolina, US}} |
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{{Infobox fraternity |
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| name = Order of Gimghoul |
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⚫ | The '''Order of Gimghoul''' is a [[Collegiate secret societies in North America|collegiate secret society]] headquartered at Hippol (or Gimghoul) Castle in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]], [[North Carolina]].<ref name="gimghoulcastle1">{{cite web |url=http://raleightelegram.com/201210313653 |title=HALLOWEEN: Secret Society In Chapel Hill Owns Gimghoul Castle |publisher=Raleigh Telegram |access-date=2012-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109132450/http://raleightelegram.com/201210313653 |archive-date=2012-11-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="gimghoulcastle2">{{cite web |url=http://www.welcometonc.com/detail/252.cfm |title=Gimghoul Castle |publisher=WelcomeToNC.com |access-date=2008-05-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410124409/http://www.welcometonc.com/detail/252.cfm |archive-date=2008-04-10 |
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| letters = |
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| coat of arms = Order_of_Gimghoul_logo.png |
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| image_size = 180px |
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| caption = |
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| founded = {{start date and years ago|1889}} |
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| status = Active |
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| type = Secret society |
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| affiliation = Independent |
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| scope = Local |
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| chapters = 1 |
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| address = Gimghoul Road |
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| city = [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]] |
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| state = [[North Carolina]] |
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| ZIP code = |
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| country = United States |
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| website = |
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}} |
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⚫ | The '''Order of Gimghoul''' is a [[Collegiate secret societies in North America|collegiate secret society]] at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]. It is headquartered at Hippol (or Gimghoul) Castle in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]], [[North Carolina]].<ref name="gimghoulcastle1">{{cite web |url=http://raleightelegram.com/201210313653 |title=HALLOWEEN: Secret Society In Chapel Hill Owns Gimghoul Castle |publisher=Raleigh Telegram |access-date=2012-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109132450/http://raleightelegram.com/201210313653 |archive-date=2012-11-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="gimghoulcastle2">{{cite web |url=http://www.welcometonc.com/detail/252.cfm |title=Gimghoul Castle |publisher=WelcomeToNC.com |access-date=2008-05-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410124409/http://www.welcometonc.com/detail/252.cfm |archive-date=2008-04-10 }}</ref> |
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== History == |
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Tradition has it that the order held to the "Dromgoole legend and the ideals of Arthurian knighthood and chivalry." From all accounts, the order is social in nature, and is believed to have no clandestine agenda. Membership is closed and information about the order is strictly confidential as is access to archives less than 50 years old. The founders originally called themselves the Order of Dromgoole, but later changed it to the Order of Gimghoul, "in accord with midnight and graves and weirdness," according to archives.<ref name="gimghoularchives"/> |
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The order was founded in 1889 by [[Robert Worth Bingham]], Shepard Bryan, William W. Davies, Edward Wray Martin, and Andrew Henry Patterson, who were [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] (UNC) students at the time.<ref name="gimghoularchives">{{cite web |url=http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/uars/ead/40262.html |title=Inventory of the Order of Gimghoul Records, 1832-2006 (bulk 1940-1997) |publisher=UNC Libraries |access-date=2008-05-04 }}</ref> |
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⚫ | The society centers itself around the legend of Peter Dromgoole, a student who mysteriously disappeared from campus in 1833.<ref name="dromgoole1">{{cite web |title=The Legend of Gimghoul |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/ghosts/gimghoul.html |access-date=2008-05-04 |work=Ghost Stories of North Carolina |publisher=ibiblio.org}}</ref><ref name="dromgoole2">{{cite book |last=Elliston |first=Jon |title=North Carolina Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff |author2=Priestley, Kent |publisher=The Globe Pequot Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7627-4366-7 |location=Guilford, CT |page=102 |chapter=Positively Goole-ish |access-date=2008-05-09 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AT6y4ZnDvCsC&dq=Order+of+Gimghoul&pg=PA102}}</ref> An urban legend evolved surrounding his departure, centering around his love of a Chapel Hill girl known only as "Miss Fanny." Supposedly, Dromgoole attempted to fight a [[duel]] to win her hand but was ultimately slain. Retellings of the legend vary from that point, variously stating that Miss Fanny either died of sorrow after visiting his grave every night or held his head in her arms as he passed. In reality, it is believed that Dromgoole left for Europe after failing his entry exams or joining the Army, possibly under the name of his roommate, John Buxton Williams. The legend may have originated, at least partially, from a duel involving Peter's uncle, [[George C. Dromgoole]].<ref name="grad">{{cite web |last1=The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill |title=The Legend of Gimghoul Castle |url=https://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/gradschool/weiss/interesting_place/history/castle.html}}</ref><ref name="dailytarheel" /> |
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⚫ | ''[[The Chris Gethard Show]]'', a public access comedy television show in New York, has filmed |
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The founders originally called themselves the Order of Dromgoole, but later changed it to the Order of Gimghoul, "in accord with midnight and graves and weirdness".<ref name="gimghoularchives" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-07-19 |title=Gimghoul Coded Yearbook Messages |url=https://blogs.lib.unc.edu/uarms/2018/07/19/gimghoul-coded-yearbook-messages/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=For the Record |publisher=UNC University Libraries |language=en-US}}</ref> Tradition has it that the order held to the "Dromgoole legend and the ideals of Arthurian knighthood, and chivalry." From all accounts, the order is social and is believed to have no clandestine agenda. |
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The archives of the Order of Gimghoul are available in [[Louis Round Wilson Library|Wilson Library]] at UNC; although, access to records less than fifty years old requires permission of the order.<ref>{{cite web |author=University Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |title=Collection Title: Order of Gimghoul of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1832-2009 (bulk 1940-1997} |url=https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/40262/}}</ref> |
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⚫ | The meeting place of the Order of Gimghoul is |
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== Symbols == |
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⚫ | There is some disagreement about exactly how old the castle is, as well as who built it. |
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The Gimghoul emblem features a ghoul with a wicked grin, on a column with a triple foundation.<ref name=":0" /> The ghoul holds the Mystic Key in his left hand and the Cross of Gimghoul in his right hand.<ref name=":0" /> His tail spells the name "Gimghoul".<ref name=":0" /> Above the ghoul is a crescent moon and a group of seven stars.<ref name=":0" /> |
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Since 1890, the order has had a coded message most editions of the university's yearbook.<ref name=":0" /> This message is written by the Rex, the leader of the order.<ref name=":0" /> |
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⚫ | To finance its construction, the Order sold 35 |
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⚫ | According to legend, the castle is situated on or near the grave of Peter Dromgoole |
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⚫ | The meeting place of the Order of Gimghoul is Hippol Castle, commonly known as Gimghoul Castle. Club founder [[Edward Wray Martin]] was noted as the most vocal proponent of the castle: former UNC English Professor [[Charles Phillips Russell]] recalled, "Gimghoul Castle, medieval in form and mysterious in air, owes its existence to the romantic fancies of law student Edward Wray Martin of the class of 1891, a devoted reader of Arthurian and other medieval legends, who saw shining knights where others saw grey professors. He perceived blond princesses instead of fat waitresses." Martin dreamed of the club having a "great gloomy pile standing on the edge of a cliff" where it could perform secret activities.<ref name="chhs">{{cite book |last1=The Chapel Hill Historical Society |title=Historic Buildings and Landmarks of Chapel Hill, N.C. |date=October 1973 |publisher=Creative Printers, Inc. |edition=Second}}</ref> |
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⚫ | There is some disagreement about exactly how old the castle is, as well as who built it. According to Russell, the castle was finished in 1926—its elaborate stone construction the handiwork of Waldensian stone-masons from [[Valdese, North Carolina]].<ref name="chhs" /> Others are less definite in their claims, stating the castle took between four and six years to finish and was completed in the 1920s by French artisans.<ref name="gimghoulcastle4">{{cite web |url=http://www.carrboro.com/gimghoulcastle.html |title=Gimghoul Castle |publisher=Carrboro.com |access-date=2008-05-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105101830/http://www.carrboro.com/gimghoulcastle.html |archive-date=2010-01-05 }}</ref><ref name="grad" /> A third variation of the tale states that its construction started in 1924 and took 1,300 tons of rough stone .<ref name="dailytarheel">{{cite news |last=Valle |first=Kirsten |title=Secret society prompts ghoulish legends |publisher=The Daily Tar Heel |date=2004-10-29 |url=http://media.www.dailytarheel.com/media/storage/paper885/news/2004/10/29/Features/Secret.Society.Prompts.Ghoulish.Legends-1361301.shtml |access-date=2008-05-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080521104358/http://media.www.dailytarheel.com/media/storage/paper885/news/2004/10/29/Features/Secret.Society.Prompts.Ghoulish.Legends-1361301.shtml |archive-date=2008-05-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> All sources agree that the cost of construction exceeded $50,000 (${{Inflation|index=US|value=50,000|start_year=1925}} in today's money). |
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==Archival material== |
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The archives of the Order of Gimghoul are available in Wilson Library, although access to records less than 50 years old requires permission of the Order.<ref>{{cite web |
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⚫ | To finance its construction, the Order sold {{Convert|35|acre|ha}} of property that was later designated the [[Gimghoul Neighborhood Historic District]].<ref name="nrhpinv">{{Cite web | author = M. Ruth Little| title =Gimghoul Neighborhood Historic District| work = National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory | date =February 1993| url = https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/OR0709.pdf | publisher = North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office | access-date = 2015-02-01}}</ref> The castle is located off-campus at the end of Gimghoul Road, not far from [[Old Chapel Hill Cemetery]] near [[Carmichael Auditorium]].<ref name="gimghoulcastle5">{{cite web |url=http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/nc_post&CISOPTR=503 |title=Gimghoul Castle, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.|work=North Carolina Postcards |access-date=2008-05-04}}</ref> According to real estate records, the {{convert|2.15|acre|ha|sing=on}} site is owned by a non-profit corporation the Order of the Gimghoul and has a taxable value of over $1 million.<ref name="gimghoulcastle1" /><ref name="gimghoulcastle6">{{cite web |url=http://gis.co.orange.nc.us/land/queries/account.asp?PIN=9788962765 |title=Orange County Land Records |work=Data Summary Information Page Gimghoul Castle |access-date=2008-05-09}}</ref> The castle is a contributing building in the [[Chapel Hill Historic District (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)|Chapel Hill Historic District]]. |
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|title=Collection Title: Order of Gimghoul of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1832-2009 (bulk 1940-1997} |
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⚫ | According to legend, the castle is situated on or near the grave of Peter Dromgoole and his ghost still haunts the grounds. A rock, known as "Dromgoole Rock," is supposedly permanently stained red with his blood after it was used to hide his body; it sits directly in front of the castle.<ref name="gimghoulcastle2" /><ref name="dailytarheel" /> |
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|url=https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/40262/}}</ref> |
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== Membership == |
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The society is open to "notable" male students (rising juniors and higher), and faculty members by invitation. |
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== Popular culture == |
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⚫ | ''[[The Chris Gethard Show]]'', a public access comedy television show in New York, has filmed several "exposés" on the order, none of which have substantiated any of the show's allegations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Murf Vs. Gimghoul: HOUR-LONG SCUMBUM EXPOSING SPECIAL |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMgmUg7JemA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/HMgmUg7JemA |archive-date=2021-12-21 |access-date=20 December 2013 |website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student organizations]] |
[[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student organizations]] |
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[[Category:Student organizations established in 1889]] |
[[Category:Student organizations established in 1889]] |
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[[Category:Secret societies in the United States]] |
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[[Category:Local fraternities and sororities]] |
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[[Category:Fraternity and sorority houses]] |
Latest revision as of 17:44, 13 November 2024
Order of Gimghoul | |
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Founded | 1889 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Type | Secret society |
Affiliation | Independent |
Status | Active |
Scope | Local |
Chapters | 1 |
Headquarters | Gimghoul Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina United States 35°54′43″N 79°02′10″W / 35.91194°N 79.03611°W |
The Order of Gimghoul is a collegiate secret society at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is headquartered at Hippol (or Gimghoul) Castle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[1][2]
History
[edit]The order was founded in 1889 by Robert Worth Bingham, Shepard Bryan, William W. Davies, Edward Wray Martin, and Andrew Henry Patterson, who were University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) students at the time.[3]
The society centers itself around the legend of Peter Dromgoole, a student who mysteriously disappeared from campus in 1833.[4][5] An urban legend evolved surrounding his departure, centering around his love of a Chapel Hill girl known only as "Miss Fanny." Supposedly, Dromgoole attempted to fight a duel to win her hand but was ultimately slain. Retellings of the legend vary from that point, variously stating that Miss Fanny either died of sorrow after visiting his grave every night or held his head in her arms as he passed. In reality, it is believed that Dromgoole left for Europe after failing his entry exams or joining the Army, possibly under the name of his roommate, John Buxton Williams. The legend may have originated, at least partially, from a duel involving Peter's uncle, George C. Dromgoole.[6][7]
The founders originally called themselves the Order of Dromgoole, but later changed it to the Order of Gimghoul, "in accord with midnight and graves and weirdness".[3][8] Tradition has it that the order held to the "Dromgoole legend and the ideals of Arthurian knighthood, and chivalry." From all accounts, the order is social and is believed to have no clandestine agenda.
The archives of the Order of Gimghoul are available in Wilson Library at UNC; although, access to records less than fifty years old requires permission of the order.[9]
Symbols
[edit]The Gimghoul emblem features a ghoul with a wicked grin, on a column with a triple foundation.[8] The ghoul holds the Mystic Key in his left hand and the Cross of Gimghoul in his right hand.[8] His tail spells the name "Gimghoul".[8] Above the ghoul is a crescent moon and a group of seven stars.[8]
Since 1890, the order has had a coded message most editions of the university's yearbook.[8] This message is written by the Rex, the leader of the order.[8]
Gimghoul Castle
[edit]The meeting place of the Order of Gimghoul is Hippol Castle, commonly known as Gimghoul Castle. Club founder Edward Wray Martin was noted as the most vocal proponent of the castle: former UNC English Professor Charles Phillips Russell recalled, "Gimghoul Castle, medieval in form and mysterious in air, owes its existence to the romantic fancies of law student Edward Wray Martin of the class of 1891, a devoted reader of Arthurian and other medieval legends, who saw shining knights where others saw grey professors. He perceived blond princesses instead of fat waitresses." Martin dreamed of the club having a "great gloomy pile standing on the edge of a cliff" where it could perform secret activities.[10]
There is some disagreement about exactly how old the castle is, as well as who built it. According to Russell, the castle was finished in 1926—its elaborate stone construction the handiwork of Waldensian stone-masons from Valdese, North Carolina.[10] Others are less definite in their claims, stating the castle took between four and six years to finish and was completed in the 1920s by French artisans.[11][6] A third variation of the tale states that its construction started in 1924 and took 1,300 tons of rough stone .[7] All sources agree that the cost of construction exceeded $50,000 ($868691 in today's money).
To finance its construction, the Order sold 35 acres (14 ha) of property that was later designated the Gimghoul Neighborhood Historic District.[12] The castle is located off-campus at the end of Gimghoul Road, not far from Old Chapel Hill Cemetery near Carmichael Auditorium.[13] According to real estate records, the 2.15-acre (0.87 ha) site is owned by a non-profit corporation the Order of the Gimghoul and has a taxable value of over $1 million.[1][14] The castle is a contributing building in the Chapel Hill Historic District.
According to legend, the castle is situated on or near the grave of Peter Dromgoole and his ghost still haunts the grounds. A rock, known as "Dromgoole Rock," is supposedly permanently stained red with his blood after it was used to hide his body; it sits directly in front of the castle.[2][7]
Membership
[edit]The society is open to "notable" male students (rising juniors and higher), and faculty members by invitation.
Popular culture
[edit]The Chris Gethard Show, a public access comedy television show in New York, has filmed several "exposés" on the order, none of which have substantiated any of the show's allegations.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "HALLOWEEN: Secret Society In Chapel Hill Owns Gimghoul Castle". Raleigh Telegram. Archived from the original on 2012-11-09. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ^ a b "Gimghoul Castle". WelcomeToNC.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ a b "Inventory of the Order of Gimghoul Records, 1832-2006 (bulk 1940-1997)". UNC Libraries. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "The Legend of Gimghoul". Ghost Stories of North Carolina. ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ Elliston, Jon; Priestley, Kent (2007). "Positively Goole-ish". North Carolina Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Guilford, CT: The Globe Pequot Press. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-7627-4366-7. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill. "The Legend of Gimghoul Castle".
- ^ a b c Valle, Kirsten (2004-10-29). "Secret society prompts ghoulish legends". The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Gimghoul Coded Yearbook Messages". For the Record. UNC University Libraries. 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ University Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Collection Title: Order of Gimghoul of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1832-2009 (bulk 1940-1997}".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b The Chapel Hill Historical Society (October 1973). Historic Buildings and Landmarks of Chapel Hill, N.C. (Second ed.). Creative Printers, Inc.
- ^ "Gimghoul Castle". Carrboro.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ M. Ruth Little (February 1993). "Gimghoul Neighborhood Historic District" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
- ^ "Gimghoul Castle, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C." North Carolina Postcards. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "Orange County Land Records". Data Summary Information Page Gimghoul Castle. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ "Murf Vs. Gimghoul: HOUR-LONG SCUMBUM EXPOSING SPECIAL". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- 1889 establishments in North Carolina
- Collegiate secret societies
- Houses in Orange County, North Carolina
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student organizations
- Student organizations established in 1889
- Secret societies in the United States
- Local fraternities and sororities
- Fraternity and sorority houses