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Order of Gimghoul

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Coordinates: 35°54′43″N 79°02′10″W / 35.91194°N 79.03611°W / 35.91194; -79.03611
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35°54′43″N 79°02′10″W / 35.91194°N 79.03611°W / 35.91194; -79.03611

Hippol Castle, headquarters of the order.

The Order of Gimghoul is a collegiate secret society headquartered at Hippol (or Gimghoul) Castle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[1][2] 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 (UNC) students at the time.[3]

The society is open to "notable" male students (rising juniors and higher), and faculty members by invitation. 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 joined the Army, possibly under the name his roommate, John Buxton Williams; it is believed the legend originated at least partially from a duel involving Peter's uncle, George C. Dromgoole.[6][7]

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.[3]

The Chris Gethard Show, a public access comedy television show in New York, has filmed a number of semi-tongue-in-cheek "exposés" on the Order, none of which have substantiated any of the show's allegations.[8]

Gimghoul Castle

The meeting place of the Order of Gimghoul is the Gimghoul (or Hippol) Castle. Club founder Edward Wray Martin was noted as the most vocal proponent of the castle: former UNC English Professor Charles Phillips Russell recalled that "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." He dreamed of the club having a "great gloomy pile standing on the edge of a cliff" for the club to perform their secret activities in.[9]

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;[9] others are less definite in their claims, stating the castle took between 4 and 6 years to finish and that work was completed some time in the 1920s, adding that artisans from France were enlisted to complete the work.[10][6] Finally, a third variation of the tale states that work started in 1924; this version gives no completion date, but reports that thirteen hundred tons of rough stone were used in its construction.[7] All sources agree, however, that the cost of construction was rather high, exceeding $50,000.

To finance its construction, the Order sold 35 acres of property that was later designated the Gimghoul Neighborhood Historic District.[11] The castle is located at the end of Gimghoul Road, not far from Old Chapel Hill Cemetery on campus near Carmichael Auditorium.[12] According to real estate records, the 2.15-acre (8,700 m2) site is owned by a non-profit corporation entitled the Order of the Gimghoul and has a taxable value of over $1 million.[1][13] 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]

Archival material

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.[14]

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b "Gimghoul Castle". WelcomeToNC.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  3. ^ a b "Inventory of the Order of Gimghoul Records, 1832-2006 (bulk 1940-1997)". UNC Libraries. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  4. ^ "The Legend of Gimghoul". Ghost Stories of North Carolina. ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill. "The Legend of Gimghoul Castle".
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "Murf Vs. Gimghoul: HOUR-LONG SCUMBUM EXPOSING SPECIAL". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  9. ^ a b The Chapel Hill Historical Society (October 1973). Historic Buildings and Landmarks of Chapel Hill, N.C. (Second ed.). Creative Printers, Inc.
  10. ^ "Gimghoul Castle". Carrboro.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Gimghoul Castle, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C." North Carolina Postcards. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  13. ^ "Orange County Land Records". Data Summary Information Page Gimghoul Castle. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  14. ^ 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)
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