H I L L S BOROU GH
over the river and
to concert posters and vintage movie posters … Lance also loves to add custom paint finishes and frame designs that he creates from scratch such as a ‘Jaws’ poster with a bite cut out of the frame.” And if you’re looking for an eclectic workout experience, the studio also offers exercise classes. Current classes include beginner’s yoga with instructor Elijah Pruitt on Tuesday evenings and ab training workouts on Wednesdays with Kat McGee. “We have a great space which allows everyone to exercise surrounded by original art and fun prints,” Janet says. She has been around to see the ebb and flow of her community. “In our 40 years of living and working in and around Hillsborough, we have seen the town go through a lot of changes,” Janet says. “Today it is a thriving small town with an active art scene, local dining and wonderful parks.”
through S the woods … To Hillsborough’s hidden gems we go By Le ah B e r r y
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rom local art and eccentric shops to quaint restaurants and great history, Hillsborough is teeming with places to see and things to do. But the town’s little known delights are arguably what make it so special.
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tudio 71 Picture Framing and Gallery, located in a renovated 1950s auto garage, is filled with pop culture art and prints. Lance Sawyers relocated the gallery and event space to its current location on the corner of Orange Grove Road and South Churton Street in 2019, and his wife, Janet Sawyers, joined him in the business in 2020. Lance
had previously worked the comic book convention circuit, selling framed prints and GeekBox display cases, which gave him access to unique merchandise. “Unlike most frame shops that sell or show examples of classic art prints and landscapes, we focus on all things pop culture,” Janet says. “From signed ‘Star Trek’ prints and action figure shadow boxes 34
chapelhillmagazine.com
January/February 2024
itting along the Eno River is the Occaneechi Village Replica Site, a historical recreation of the Indian village of Occaneechi Town visited and written about by John Lawson in 1701. The village was an important trade location where the Occaneechi people traded with the Europeans as well as nearby tribes. Guided by the findings of UNC Research Laboratories of Archaeology, the late tribal member John “Blackfeather” Jeffries began and completed construction of the replica village in 1998. Many descendants of the tribe continue to live in Hillsborough, including native Beverly Payne, an Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation Tribal Council member, who has been working alongside other members to fully complete the site to look as it was in 1701. She plans to create interpretative signage for tourists when the village is not staffed. Everything in the village is made of cedar poles and tied together with leather/sinew and covered with grass thatching. Beverly believes the site is crucial to properly educating the community on the Occaneechi people. “I want everyone to know that we’re here, as a village and as Yésah (the people),” Beverly says. Check it out next time you’re along the Riverwalk or set up a tour through The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough.
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he Regulator Historical Marker, located at 200 E. King St., pays tribute to a critical movement in the American Colonies. “The Regulators, a diverse group of farmers, laborers and common citizens, sought to ‘regulate’ what they deemed as unjust taxation and corrupt practices within the Colonial government,” says Amanda Boyd, executive director of The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough. “The movement came to a head at the Battle of Alamance, where the Regulators were defeated by William Tyron’s army. Many Regulator leaders were apprehended, and some executed. The names of these men ... are etched in the stone of the marker, preserving their memory.” At the same address stands the Hughes Academy schoolhouse, an influential institution in the area throughout the 19th century, helping to shape the educational landscape of Hillsborough. The landmark primarily served as a preparatory school for young boys, and its graduates were often granted the opportunity to further their education at nearby universities,