Town of Carrboro To Discuss Changing Its Namesake

The Town of Carrboro will consider changing its namesake at its town council meeting Tuesday night to effectively sever ties with its history of white supremacy.

Originally known as West End, due to its geographic location directly west of Chapel Hill, the town was first renamed in 1911 and then again in 1913. The final name change came after Julian Shakespeare Carr, owner of the local textile mill, agreed to provide electricity to the community in exchange for naming the town after himself.

During the late 1960s, Carrboro began to become more progressive in its thinking, earning a reputation as one of the more progressive communities in the South. Yet, despite the town’s progressive ideals, Carrboro’s namesake is rarely referenced due to its ties to white supremacy.

According to the town’s website, “Although the town continues to bear his name, the values and actions of Carr do not represent Carrboro today.”

A confederate soldier himself, Julian Carr was the largest single donor to the Silent Sam monument to Confederate alumni on UNC’s campus. At its dedication in 1913, Carr addressed the crowd, urging vigorous support for white supremacy.

Although many residents have called for the town to completely change its name due to its racist history, Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said there are several legal and financial difficulties that stem from changing the physical name of a town – which is why Carrboro is considering changing the namesake instead.

“We had a resident who came to us, I believe in June at one of our last meetings, and she really urged us to kind of explore that idea – recognizing the challenge of changing the name of a town,” Lavelle said. “So we’ve explored this idea of ‘can we have a new namesake?’ and she came to us with the names of several folks with the last name Carr.”

Lavelle said the council had originally referred this idea to the town’s Truth Plaque Committee to discuss and eventually move forward.

Back in April of 2019, the committee a posted a historical marker, or ‘truth plaque’, on the front of Carrboro’s Town Hall. This plaque includes the early history of Carrboro around the turn of the 20th century and talks about the town’s namesake, Julian S. Carr – noting Carr’s ties to racial segregation.

“They met and talked and decided that they wanted to kick it back to us to have Town council have that discussion,” Lavelle said. “Then if we decide that we want to name it after another namesake, or we want their input after we discuss it, then they’ll take it up again.”

Lavelle said she is interested to hear what the town council has to say at their meeting. If the council does decide they want to change the town’s namesake, she already has some ideas.

“A few years ago I suggested we rename ourselves after Johnnie Carr,” Lavelle said. “She’s a Civil Rights activist that isn’t as well known – but she was very active with Dr. Martin Luther King and others. Also she was born in 1911, which was the same year we were incorporated.”

To check out Carrboro’s Town Council agenda ahead of its meeting Tuesday night, click here.

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Town of Carrboro To Discuss Changing Its Namesake

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