Any passionate pottery person already knows about Seagrove, NC. For some 240 years pottery has been taking shape in this lovely and vibrant town. Many of the first Seagrove potters were English and German immigrants, and they primarily produced functional, glazed earthenware. Due to the high quality of the local clay, the Plank Road passing through the town, and, later, the railroad, Seagrove became known for its pottery.

So, about the tour. I was honored to have a group of 8 women from all across the USA,  Europe and Canada on this tour. Interestingly, most confessed to NOT having a particular knowledge or liking for pottery. Well that changed by the end of the day. Our journey from Raleigh took us through Cary, Apex, Pittsborough, Siler City, and Asheboro North Carolina. Upon arrival we headed to the North Carolina Pottery Center where we were greeted and provided a brief tour of this wonderful facility. Anyone going to Seagrove for the first time should start out here for sure.

Our pottery shop stops included some of the most famous in Seagrove. Owens, Jugtown and Phil Morgan Pottery. We were very fortunate to have met Ben Owens, Phil Morgan and several family potters from Jugtown. The warmth, friendly atmosphere and demonstrations which we were privy to really showed why Seagrove has experienced such a resurgence in guest traffic in Seagrove. We thoroughly enjoyed an outstanding lunch cooked and served to us by the Westmore Family restaurant. The Kennedy family has turned this stop on the side of the Pottery Highway into a must visit eatery.

A little more about Seagrove. Thanks for checking out my BLOG. Come back to visit and read what is happening in Piedmont life and tourism soon.

Seagrove’s pottery tradition dates back to the 1700s, before the American Revolution. Many of the first Seagrove potters were English and German immigrants, and they primarily produced functional, glazed earthenware. Due to the high quality of the local clay, the Plank Road passing through the town, and, later, the railroad, Seagrove became known for its pottery.

The popularity of Seagrove pottery was severely reduced due to the Industrial Revolution and the advent of modern food preparation. For a time whisky jugs were a successful source of income, but the beverage was outlawed and potteries continued their decline in the early 1900s.

The potteries struggled until around 1920, when they became popular with Northern tourists visiting nearby Pinehurst. The new tourist industry marked a general change from utilitarian pottery to more decorative ware.

After another decline from the 1950s through 1970s a renewed interest in traditional pottery was beginning to sweep the area, and in 1982 a group of concerned individuals founded the North Carolina Museum of Traditional Pottery and organized the Seagrove Pottery Festival, an annual event held each year the weekend before Thanksgiving.

The Cole, Auman, Owen, Teague, and Albright families are eighth- and ninth-generation potters in Seagrove who continue this tradition.

Some of the oldest, historic pottery locations still in operation include the “Original” Owens Pottery founded in 1895^[5] and Jugtown Pottery founded in 1921^[6]. Jugtown is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Check out these links below for additional information.

http://www.discoverseagrove.com/default.asp 

http://www.ncpotterycenter.com/

Just a new update to share about a really great group of BioMerieax employees who were attending a national conference here in Raleigh NC. I had a coach full of operations, sales, marketing, and support personnal that I escorted on an executive version of Tobacco Road Tours’ Historic Durham tour. We started out by coming into downtown Durham via hwy 146, came up along side of Bulls Athletic Park between American Tobacco Campus. Explained the story of Dr. Bartlett Durham and his 4 acres of land he sold for the needed train depot/station. A little bit of the seedy side of Durham…..OK….

Well, Dr. Durham was a lively man, never married, however spent alot of time with the ladies. Even died at a lady friends home I believe. So, on to a review of the Suntrust building (same architechs as the Empire State Bldg.), NC Mutual, Episcopal Church (Duke Family honored), over to Brightleaf (first reuse of Tobacco Warehouse buildings) and down by West Village, the Arts Magnet Highschool. Trinity Ave. with notes on the Duke Tower Hotel/Condos (former Pearl Mills). Over to Washingto Ave to view and talk about the olde Bulls Athletic Park where the famous movie Bull Durham was shot and produced. Up the street is the Durham farmers market and the Imperial Building (great Irish/English history and the locker room scenes from Bull Durham the movie where shot in the basement!

Over the the Bull square, Parrish & Orange Streets with great Black Wall Street history of Durhams financial & insurance services industry was born and grew to National status as the largest Black owned and managed business in the USA. The Historic Durham tour took our guests to a number of additional facinating destinations in Durham such as Gold Belt Textile mill and Durham Hosery Mill, both have been repurposed very successfully.

Before we headed out to Hurdle Mills, NC to Rock of Ages Winery & Vinyard, we must see the second most popular tourist attraction in North Carolina. Duke Chapel. This 1930’s magnificant chapel is not only spectacular from the outside, the real story is on the inside of the Duke Chapel. Taking several years to build, the Chapel stands 210 feet tall, 291 feet long and 63 feet wide. Much of the exterior is made with North Carolina Blue Stone which is beautiful. I could go on and on about this beautiful architectural masterpiece, however, go here to learn lots more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Chapel 

On to Rock of Ages Winery. What a lovely, world class facility Kevin and Kim Moore has established. With out a doubt, their brand, product and experience provided for guests has taken the Triangle area by storm. Our group had a dedicated, team of wine experts talk about the vinyard, production, tasting, marketing of estate made wines. A wonderful assortment of cheeses, hot hors d’oeuvres and deserts made the experience all the better.  We wrapped up with a tour of the production facilities and the barrell rooms. Awesome! Come take a wine country tour with us at Tobacco Road Tours. www.tobaccoroadtours.com Visit Rock of Ages Winery at www.rockofageswinery.com

Brad

Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill are three distinct destinations within close proximity of one another. Together this metropolitan area is commonly referred to as the Triangle – a family of communities.

All represent the best of southern hospitality and seem more like sprawling towns rather than major cities – yet they are both. Each has a flavor all its own that makes it an irresistible place to visit, linger in and return to.

Take Raleigh, for instance. As North Carolina’s Capital and the Triangle’s largest city, Raleigh enjoys a reputation as a vibrant city on the move. Its new Convention Center opened in September and growth in its Midtown (North Hills) and Uptown (Crabtree Valley) areas contribute to its increasingly upscale image. Amid the many oaks that soften its downtown, the old and the new come together in such districts as Glenwood South, where you will find a trendy night and dining scene comparable to the best found in other major cities in America, and the Moore Square Art District, which includes the old charm of Historic City market complete with cobblestone streets and street lamps surrounded by unique shops, dining and nightlife.

Durham, home to Duke University and North Carolina Central University, is also undergoing a vigorous revival. The widely anticipated Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) has opened with an outstanding lineup of entertainment. The old tobacco warehouses that dot the city are being converted to stylish apartments, condos, retail centers and restaurants. They include successful renovation projects like Historic Brightleaf Square and the American Tobacco Campus which have become magnets for locals and visitors alike who enjoy their outdoor concerts and unique restaurants and shops. You’ll find great dining in Durham, too, with over 30 area restaurants and chefs having been recognized by national media for their regional cuisine.

In the western corner of Research Triangle, Chapel Hill combines small town charm with cosmopolitan chic. It is picturesque and inviting and lives up to its reputation as “the Southern Part of Heaven.” Home to the University of North Carolina, the nation’s first state university, its downtown centers around Franklin Street where day and night the sidewalks are filled with pedestrian traffic enjoying the best in upscale shopping, dining and entertainment options.

Together, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill enjoy temperate year-round weather and easy drives to either of the beaches or the mountains. Put simply, this Triangle of communities offers the best of all worlds.