R.B. & Jenny Fitch
R.B. and Jenny Fitch raised the bar for planners and developers, creating a thriving village out of rolling farmland and establishing a new standard of Southern living. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, R.B. Fitch returned to Chapel Hill in 1958 to work in the family business, Fitch Lumber and Hardware in Carrboro. He formed Fitch Creations in 1961 to take on remodeling projects, and in 1965, he formally spun the company off to design homes and develop subdivisions with his wife, Jenny.
In 1974, the couple purchased the old Fearrington dairy farm, south of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The 650 acres of rolling farmland were accentuated by a farm house, barns and other buildings – the perfect setting for the small-Southerntown- meets-quaint-English-village vision R.B. and Jenny shared. The first homes were complete in 1976, and in 1980, the village center began to take form as a “coming together place.” At its center was The Fearrington House Restaurant, a AAA Five-Diamond eatery, which has received numerous awards and accolades from national and international organizations. The restaurant, augmented by a 32-room inn and spa, is a member of the
prestigious Relais & Châteaux. The village is home to beautiful landscaping and formal gardens, all planned by Jenny’s delicate hand and natural talent for design. Her aesthetic created “The Fearrington Look:” meticulously placed informal plantings of annuals, perennials, bulbs and shrubs. The styleis so singular that the Relais & Châteaux awarded Fearrington its Garden Award in 2011. In addition to gardening, Jenny was a great cook, and she penned The Fearrington House Cookbook to enable everyone to enjoy a taste of the village at their home tables.
Together, R.B. and Jenny created an idyllic community of single-family detached and cluster homes, fine shops and dining, a senior living facility and event space that is second to none. Fearrington Village is held up in the U.S. and abroad as an example of an exquisitely planned and executed community. Two of the couple’s children, Keebe and Greg, now work with the family business. R.B. received a Professional Achievement Award from Professional Builder, and Fearrington’s Camden Park was named one of the nation’s best examples of “pedestrian supportive developments” by the Urban Land Institute. R.B. is a trustee of the North Carolina Nature Conservancy and past chairman of the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation. He also is a former chairman of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.
For their extraordinary vision, exceptional execution and dedication to creating and preserving a way of life, we proudly induct R.B. and Jenny Fitch into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.
In 1974, the couple purchased the old Fearrington dairy farm, south of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The 650 acres of rolling farmland were accentuated by a farm house, barns and other buildings – the perfect setting for the small-Southerntown- meets-quaint-English-village vision R.B. and Jenny shared. The first homes were complete in 1976, and in 1980, the village center began to take form as a “coming together place.” At its center was The Fearrington House Restaurant, a AAA Five-Diamond eatery, which has received numerous awards and accolades from national and international organizations. The restaurant, augmented by a 32-room inn and spa, is a member of the
prestigious Relais & Châteaux. The village is home to beautiful landscaping and formal gardens, all planned by Jenny’s delicate hand and natural talent for design. Her aesthetic created “The Fearrington Look:” meticulously placed informal plantings of annuals, perennials, bulbs and shrubs. The styleis so singular that the Relais & Châteaux awarded Fearrington its Garden Award in 2011. In addition to gardening, Jenny was a great cook, and she penned The Fearrington House Cookbook to enable everyone to enjoy a taste of the village at their home tables.
Together, R.B. and Jenny created an idyllic community of single-family detached and cluster homes, fine shops and dining, a senior living facility and event space that is second to none. Fearrington Village is held up in the U.S. and abroad as an example of an exquisitely planned and executed community. Two of the couple’s children, Keebe and Greg, now work with the family business. R.B. received a Professional Achievement Award from Professional Builder, and Fearrington’s Camden Park was named one of the nation’s best examples of “pedestrian supportive developments” by the Urban Land Institute. R.B. is a trustee of the North Carolina Nature Conservancy and past chairman of the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation. He also is a former chairman of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.
For their extraordinary vision, exceptional execution and dedication to creating and preserving a way of life, we proudly induct R.B. and Jenny Fitch into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.