— The director of the Burwell School Historic Site has been charged with embezzling money from the Hillsborough site, police said Thursday.

Rhonda Tucker, 42, was charged last week with felony embezzlement in excess of $100,000.

Police said Tucker stole $174,000 from Burwell School accounts since 2016.

The Burwell School was among North Carolina's first schools for girls, operating from 1837 to 1857, educating more than 200 young women during that time. The school was run by Anna Burwell, wife of Rev. Robert Burwell, a Presbyterian minister in Hillsborough. It accommodated day students from the area, as well as boarding students from as far away as Florida and New York.

The 2-acre site is now owned by the Historic Hillsborough Commission, which offers free tours and holds events throughout the year to promote the history and preservation of the site.