Located
at the junction of I-40 and I-85, Hillsborough has more than 100 18th- and
19th-century homes, churches and buildings. Its nickname is the “Antique Capital
of North Carolina.”
Orange County was founded in 1752 and two years later Hillsborough (then called Orange) was laid out on 400 acres where the Great Indian Trading Path crossed the Eno River. The street names — Tyron, Wake, King, Queen, Churton — still recall this early history. Hillsborough was officially name in 1776 after William Hill, Earl of Hillsborough and Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1768 to 1772.
It was in Hillsborough that the N.C. Constitutional Convention met to demand the Bill of Rights. And the visitor center once served as headquarters to General Johnston, who negotiated with General Sherman the surrender of Confederate troops that led to the end of the Civil War.
Hillsborough was a center of political activity during the Colonial and Revolutionary period. Several royal and elected governors lived here, as did a signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Hooper, whose house still stands. The town hosted the third Provincial Congress (1775); the state’s constitutional Convention of 1778; and five General Assemblies. General Cornwallis raised the Royal Standard in Hillsborough in 1781.
Hillsborough offers guided tours by folks dressed in colonial attire who can arrange a day of activities that include shuttle or carriage rides. Historic Hillsborough also opens its doors once a year in a candlelight Christmas celebration, which features tours of historic sites and private homes.
In addition, the Orange County Historical
Museum offers a unique perspective and insight on county history. Adults and
children marvel at ancient Indian artifacts, and Civil War and Revolutionary War
materials.
Outside magazine named the town the best place in the country to raise a family in 1999. Amenities are plentiful: antique and specialty shops; elegant accommodations; restaurants; and parks for hiking, swimming and camping. There’s also ice skating at the Triangle Sportsplex – the area’s only rink used periodically by the Carolina Hurricanes as a practice facility. The facility also is a full-service athletic club, with two large pools that host statewide swimming competitions.
The Chamber of Commerce helped to get the
Town Park built on the banks of the Eno River, where it will continue to be a
work in progress. The local Occoneechee-Saponi
tribe has constructed an authentic replica of their native village there, which
was home to three successive Native American
villages, spanning from 1000 to 1710.
Occoneechee Mountain Park, recently added to
the state park service, boasts the highest elevation point this side of the N.C.
Carolina mountains. A walking trail winds across the ridges of the Eno River, up
and around the mountain to a newly built observation deck at the mountain’s
highest peak.
Cyclists also enjoy scenic bike routes. Thanks to the efforts of the Carolina Tar Wheels and the Hospice Fun Run, Hillsborough offers certified trails throughout the downtown historic district.
Hillsborough Hog Day – one of the top summer events in the
Southeast – is held in June each year. In addition to a cook-off featuring more
than 9,000 pounds of barbecue, there are carnival-style rides and games, a
petting zoo and live entertainment.
Hillsborough is home to the Daniel Boone Village – the
centerpiece of its antique and retail gift shop area. And from the Colonial Inn
and Saratoga Grill downtown to the Casa Ilbara and Occoneechee Steakhouse in the
commercial district, a host of restaurants beckon to every appetite.
Other fun facts about Hillsborough include: several movies
were shot in the town; the chariot from the movie Ben Hurr, the trolley car from
Meet Me in St. Louie and the bus from the Color Purple are in the James Freeland
Museum at the Daniel Boone Village; Casa IIbara restaurant is l
ocated
in a home where George Washington once slept; Hillsborough Hog Day was once
featured in a best-selling novel and TV movie; the New York Times has featured
both Hog Day and the Christmas candlelight tours.
Housing choices abound in Hillsborough – from small mill homes to large historic homes in town ranging less than $100,000 to more than $400,000. Churton Grove, just outside the city limits, features a pool and tennis courts with single-family homes averaging in the $300s. There’s also Fox Hill Farm, developed on the site of an old beef cattle farm, where home lots range from two to 10 acres, homes are priced $300,000 to $500,000 and horse owners can enjoy wooded trails.