Playmakers Theatre, University of NC, Chapel Hill - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

Established in 1789, the University of North Carolina is the oldest public university in the United States. In 1993, the U.S. Postal Service issued this commemorative postal card celebrating the school’s bicentennial (the cornerstone of the first building was laid in 1793). It shows what many believe to be the most architecturally significant building on campus: Playmakers Theatre.

Alexander Jackson Davis designed the Greek-revival building in the late 1840s as an alumni hall containing a library and a ballroom. Completed in 1851, it was originally named Smith Hall after Benjamin Smith, former Governor of North Carolina and an early benefactor of the university. One of the architectural details worth noting is the Corinthian column capitals which consist of corn ears, wheat and tobacco rather than the traditional acanthus leaves. Other A. J. Davis buildings that have appeared on U.S. postage stamps include Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that the building was remodeled into a theater and named for the university’s drama group: The Playmakers. Some notable personalities who have appeared on its stage are Andy Griffith and author (and U.S. stamp subject) Thomas Wolfe. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 14-Sep-1993 Denomination: 19c Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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