Named for Benjamin Franklin, Chapel Hill’s tree-lined main street is a place to eat, play, shop and celebrate. The University and the town have grown together since the town’s creation by public auction in 1793 on the very same day that the cornerstone was laid for the University’s first building, Old East. Franklin Street has been called “the heartbeat of Chapel Hill” and buzzes with energy year round — especially on football Saturdays and after major men’s basketball victories.