Robert Bingham was born in 1838 at Hillsborough, NC, the son of William James and Eliza (Norwood) Bingham. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1857, and later
taught at the Bingham School with his father and brother. He served as Captain of Company
G, 44th Regiment NC Troops, was captured by Union forces, and held as a prisoner of war. He
was a school principal from 1884-1887, served as the Clerk of Orange County Superior Court
from 1888-1894, and practiced law at Hillsborough for a number of years. He also was a member
of the North Carolina General Assembly for several terms, and served as Speaker of the House
in 1903. He died at Hillsborough in 1931.

His grandfather, the Rev. William Bingham, a 1778 graduate of the University of Glasgow, was a
Scotch-Irish Protestant who came from Ireland after being involved in plots that resulted in Emmet's Rebellion. He inadvertantly arrived in Wilmington, Delaware, and made his way to Wilmington, NC, where he taught school from 1789-1793. Between 1793 and 1800, he established a school of his own at Pittsboro, NC, as well as for a time serving as professor of Latin at the University of North Carolina. During this time, an ad for the "Pittsborough Academy" was contained in the "Raleigh Register." Afterwards, Rev. Bingham moved the academy, first to Hillsborough, and later to Mount Repose. He died at the age of seventy two, and was remembered with high admiration.

Robert's father, William James Bingham, himself a successful teacher, became the second headmaster of the Bingham School, which served as a prepatory school for young men seeking entrance to the University of North Carolina. The academy had moved back to Hillsborough, and then to Oaks, about 1814. Oaks was a small community in the southwest corner of Orange County, in the Bingham Township. Prior to the Civil War, he had strong interests in the emancipation of the slaves, and for their return to their homeland; however, at the commencement of hostilities, he became completely dedicated to the Confederacy. His son William, brother of Robert, also a teacher and scholar, graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina in 1856. After marrying Owen White of Raleigh in December of that year, he soon thereafter joined his father as a partner in the school.  Due to his father's health, and the fact that Robert was eighteen years of age, William soon became the controlling member of the partnership, and the school flourished under his guidance. The small town of Oaks also grew in size, having about 233 citizens near the school's peak there in 1860. After graduation from college, Robert joined his brother William at the Bingham School as an able teacher. Later, while Robert went away to command Company G of the 44th Regiment NC Troops during the war, William continued to serve the Confederacy as headmaster of the academy, which was incorporated as a military academy in 1863, himself receiving the rank of colonel. During the period as a military academy, students lived on nearby farms, often living in log cabins. In December 1864, William again relocated the school to Mebane, and made it a boarding school where pupils lived entirely under his care. William bought out the interest in the school from his cousin and brother in-law in 1865, becoming the sole proprietor of the school. In 1880, "The Southern Mail," a Hillsboro paper ran an ad that read: "Bingham School-Mebanesville, North Carolina. It is now preeminent among Southern Boarding Schools for boys. Board-$12.00 per month. Tuition-$50.00 per session." About 1891, the school was moved to Asheville, NC, where it operated for a number of years under the name "Bingham School."  The school had an established reputation of good quality education, in large part to the "extarordinary teaching power" of William, of which it is certain, Robert possessed also. During his lifetime, William published the following books; "A Grammar of the Latin Language" (1863), "Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War" (1864), "A Grammar of the English Language" (1868), "A Latin Reader" (1869), and upon his death was busy with a text on Latin composition.

A drive through Orange County today will reveal two historical markers describing the Bingham School.
One, on Hwy. 70 near Mebane, marks the last location of the school in the piedmont before being moved to Asheville. The second marker, at the intersection of Mebane Oaks Rd. and Hwy. 54 in southwest Orange County, marks the location of the school's home while located in the community of Oaks. Little is left to remind us that a once thriving town existed there; however, tucked in among the green fields and stately oak trees stands a time capsule. There, a visitor will see a magnificent example of 19th century construction and furnishing. "The Inn at Bingham School", registered in the National Registry of Historical Places is an award winning restoration of the National Trust Project. It features the original Headmaster's home of the Bingham School, completely restored to it's original condition, with of course, lots of modern conveniences.

While not a guest at the Inn, I received a warm welcome by Mr. Francois Deprez, Innkeeper, who graciously gave me a tour of the original residence of the headmaster, as well as a brief history of the house, grounds, and the Bingham family. The original restoration work was done in 1984 when the property was owned by Bob and Jane Kelly of Greensboro. The original residence was a log cabin structure built around 1790, with an extension added in 1801. The central, main part of the residence was added in 1835, and the small office of the headmaster was added in 1845, when the Binghams purchased the property. The entire structure is tied together with a breezeway supported by modest columns, and walkway of brick tiles. The actual school building no longer exists, however the breezeway features wooden benches that were used there. The central, main living quarters is two stories, with a wonderful stairway leading to the bedroom upstairs. The original flooring, wall treatment, doors and window casements are only a few of the marvelous things I mention. The original ceiling paint exists in the lower hallway/foyer, and Mr. Deprez pointed out the faux "marbelized" trim boards on the walls at the floor. Mr. and Mrs. Deprez have also collected some very interesting documents, letters, etc. that have been placed on display for guests and patrons of the inn. The most interesting is an original 1863 copy of William Bingham's book, "A Grammar of the Latin Language," printed in Greensboro. Before leaving, I inquired about the roofing covering the structure; Mr. Deprez informed me that it is the original tin roof.
As I was leaving the small, gravel parking area, surrounded by well manicured trees, shrubs, and flowers, I noticed a small sign on the fence leading to the driveway. It read: "The Outside World." How appropriate!

I recommend the Inn to anyone interested in traveling back in time to the period of the Civil War. There are lots of quiet spots to pause and reflect, read, or just take a nap. And the historic town of Hillsboro is a short drive away, as well as Chapel Hill. I have provided Mr. Deprez's email address below, as well as a link to the web site of "The Inn at Bingham School" to anyone interested.

Finally, just before leaving, Mr. Deprez told me of a future project that will make "The Inn at Bingham School" an even more interesting spot to stay at, historically speaking. What is the project? Well, I guess you will have to plan a visit there to find out!

John Taylor
Greensboro, NC
 
 

Sources:
"Dictionary of American Biography," Vol. I, edited by Allen Johnson, p. 279.
"The Town of Hillsborough," by Allen Alexander Lloyd and Pauline O. Lloyd, pp. 78-79, 129,155.
And special thanks to Francois and Christina Deprez, owner/operators of "The Inn at Bingham School," PO Box 267, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, (919)563-5583, fdeprez@aol.com.