The North Carolina Military Institute was established under the leadership of Major D. H. Hill, who in 1858 was a professor of Mathematics at Davidson College, a graduate of West Point, and a veteran of the Mexican war (Raleigh Semi-Weekly Standard, October 6, 1858); the school opened in 1859. At the start of the Civil War, Hill became colonel of the First North Carolina volunteers, which included some former cadets from the school. The school closed during the war. After the war, the school building served various educational purposes, including as a public school, before being torn down in 1954. The main building featured 3-story central and flanking pavilions with crenellated rooflines, linked by 2-story sections.