In the 1970s, a group of residents who had lived and worked in Chapel Hill for years and wanted to stay in town realized there were no continuing care retirement communities in the area to which they could retire.

These individuals envisioned a retirement community close to town, where older adults could take advantage of the area’s educational, cultural and medical resources. With vision, drive and passion, these residents tirelessly pursued the feasibility studies, land, money and certification needed to start a retirement community.

In 1979, after nearly a decade of hard work, these leaders were some of the first residents to move into Carol Woods Retirement Community. Twenty-eight years later, some of these residents still live at Carol Woods, and the grassroots initiative that characterized the original residents is still a hallmark of the residents, staff and Board of the community.