Editing Pittsboro, North Carolina (section)

=== Foundation and early years ===
Pittsboro was established as a town in 1785.<ref>{{cite web |title=An act for Establishing a Town on the Lands of Mial Scurlock, Deceased, In Chatham County |url=https://www.carolana.com/NC/Legislators/Documents/Laws_of_North_Carolina_1785.pdf |website=The Laws of North Carolina, 1785 |access-date=November 23, 2021 |location=Chapter LX |pages=774–776}}</ref> The Chatham County Court House was built on land belonging to Mial Scurlock, but in 1787 the legislature declared that a town could not be established on Scurlock's land. The town's trustees instead purchased adjacent land belonging to William Petty and laid out the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=An Act for Establishing a Town on the Lands late the Property of William Petty, adjoining Chatham Court-house |url=https://www.carolana.com/NC/Legislators/Documents/Laws_of_North_Carolina_1786_1787.pdf |website=The Laws of North Carolina – 1786 |access-date=November 23, 2021 |location=Chapter LXXXi |pages=882–883}}</ref> That same year, Pittsboro was officially named the county seat. Although Chatham County is named for [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham]], Pittsboro is named for his son, [[William Pitt the Younger]].

Pittsboro was once considered as a site for both the [[University of North Carolina]] and the state capital. The university was established in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]], beginning in 1789. The state capital is [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], {{convert|34|mi}} east of Pittsboro.

As the county seat, Pittsboro has been a center of trade and local government, including the courts. Many farmers would come into town on the weekend for trade. In 1881 a new county courthouse and jail were built in Pittsboro.