Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Aug. 24, 1987, edition 1 / Page 27
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fif , W' Xht?i ' The Tar HeelMonday. August 24, 198727 CARO T7 TT Y" TT F 21 J IL IX Silent Sam Located between the Old Well and East Franklin Street at the University's north entrance is a well-known civil war mon ument nicknamed Silent Sam. Sam was erected in 1913 by the N.C. Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to memorialize the 321 alumni of the University who died in the Civil War, as wells the 1 ,062 who entered the Confederate Army. Canadian sculptor John Wilson created him for $7,500 using Harold V. Langlois of Boston as a model. The legend surrounding Sam says that his gun is supposed to fire every time a virgin walks by. Sam's gun, however, has been silent for as long as anyone can remember. On the base of the monument, a young woman touches the shoulder of a young gentleman to call him from letters to arms. In the spring of 1986, Sam temporarily deserted his post. He was taken to Cincinnati, Ohio, for an $8,200 restoration to remove the effects of the weather and the tannic acid from trees and car exhaust from Franklin Street. His original bronze color had turned to green. But now, Sam's back and better than ever. His restorers say hell stay a bright coppery color for several years. fi V j iy . tci . :u ,. - m, rrtA 14 ' tin A yf " ; h- -? -t r4-l I W il l si I ' ? i $ $ M I , 4 II 11! was? 111 '' - 1- I I J -'-4' , - h 71-:: V OTH file photo Tar Heel Steve Matteson Playmakers Theatre Often described as . one of the most beautiful buildings on cam pus, the Playmakers Theater was originally built in 1851 as a combination library and ballroom. Among this Corinthian build ing's features is the substitution of the traditional acanthus leaves with wheat and Indian corn to better reflect the intense Americ anism of the day. The building is now the home of UNC's PlayMakers Repertory Co., a drama production company that has helped many aspiring artists on their way to stardom. Among them are author Thomas Wolfe, band leader Kay Kyser, and actor Andy Griffith. A legend has surrounded the building ever since an incident that supposedly happened while it was still a library. According to legend, horses of the Michigan 9th Com pany were stabled there following the Civil War. Since then, Mich igan horses have been known for their intelligence and Carolina students for their good sense. The theater was named a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Aug. 24, 1987, edition 1
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