College Hill is a neighborhood in the west central section of the North Carolina city of Greensboro, which is located in the United States. College Hill was the city’s first residential neighborhood.
This broad hilltop just west of downtown Greensboro, North Carolina area was settled in the 1840s and 1850s by individuals associated with Greensboro College, which was located in the immediate vicinity. It was because of their strong Methodist affiliation that the hill was dubbed “Piety Hill” in the nineteenth century, and several commodious homes from the period still stand, including the Bumpass-Troy House, now known as Troy-Bumpas, and Boxwood.
The hill and its convenient location proved to be a popular choice for the middle class of Greensboro during the Victorian era who desired to get away from the hustle and bustle of the growing village. It was after the establishment of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1891 that the town was given the new name of “College Hill.”
Between 1890 and 1899 several elaborate Queen Anne-style houses were constructed along Walker Avenue, Mendenhall Street, and Morehead Avenue in the city of Charlotte. The private Orlo Epps House, built in 1890, was designed by Orlo Epps, who was also the architect of UNCG’s Julius I. Foust Hall, and features elaborate details such as turned porch posts, shingle siding, and a brightly painted exterior and interior.
The construction of residences was not the only type of development. The Greensboro Fire Department’s oldest station is located at 547 South Mendenhall Street. The West End Hose Company was housed in this two-story brick structure from 1897 to 1919, when it was demolished and replaced by a new structure one block north at 442 South Mendenhall Avenue.
These two structures have been adaptively reused, with the first serving as a general store and the second as a residential residence. From its beginnings as a grist mill in 1893 to its completion in 1912, the Wafco Mill complex has seen numerous additions. The complex was renovated and converted into condominiums in 1983.
In College Hill, there are two small commercial areas to be found. The intersection of Tate Street and Walker Avenue is home to a slew of restaurants, two coffee shops, and a variety of shops that cater to the nearby university’s student population.
The crossroads of Mendenhall and Spring Garden streets contains a more limited selection of businesses that cater to the needs of the student community. Students and expanding local campuses, which provide the neighborhood with its vitality, also pose unique challenges. Parkign has always been a difficulty on the tiny streets, and student housing has occasionally caused problems with city health code enforcement.