Bynum General Store circa 1939, Marion Post Wolcott, Yale

Bynum General Store: Then and Now

November 03, 2015 by MY in Chatham County

"Post Office in General Store and Filling Station" (above) was taken in 1939 by Marion Post Wolcott and recently made available by Yale University. The university went public with about 170,000 photographs from the Great Depression that were at one time stored within government archives. Today, the Bynum General Store serves as a community gathering spot. It's the home of the non-profit organization Bynum Front Porch perhaps best known for its music series, drawing folks from across the region for outdoor bluegrass concerts and impromptu pickin' sessions. Remnants of the post office remain inside the store, a nod to the town's history and evolution.

(photograph taken in Bynum, NC, Chatham County)

ClydeFEST Folk Art Fun: The Moments

May 11, 2015 by onfranklin&main

(photographs taken at the 14th annual ClydeFEST in Bynum, NC just south of Chapel Hill/Carrboro towards Pittsboro)

ClydeFEST: Honoring NC Folk Artist Clyde Jones

Fearrington Village

April 28, 2015 by onfranklin&main

More than anything, Bynum folk art legend Clyde Jones likes to make children smile. He has an unconventional way of going about it: by revving up his chainsaw.

It works. And kids aren’t the only ones smiling.

He starts with log remnants or an old stump. With a few swipes of his saw, a hammer and nails, and perhaps a coat or two of paint, a “critter” is born. Plastic flowers, tennis balls, artificial grapes, and bottle caps become eyes. A pair of panty hose or a clip-on braid becomes a tail. Some get saddles or a string of lights. The lucky ones get a frosting of glitter.

But the whimsical pieces aren’t for sale. He generously donates them to schools and to local nonprofits. And he gives them to folks he takes a liking to, which includes most of his neighbors, owners and waiters at area restaurants, his dentist, and Captain John's Dockside restaurant in Chapel Hill. In fact, when famed Russian ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov arrived in a limousine in 1991, Clyde politely refused to sell him one.

“You can’t buy one,” Clyde said. “But I like it when people come and take a look.” However, those interested in owning a critter will have a rare opportunity to bid on one at the 14th annual ClydeFEST celebration on May 2nd in Bynum where Clyde will be fashioning a critter on-site for auction.

The Chatham Arts Council honors Clyde with an annual full-day, smile-packed event for children called ClydeFEST. Kids play original Clyde-themed games, make their own art, eat food, and enjoy live entertainment. At Clyde’s Critterville, children get to paint and glitter their own Clyde Critter cut-out to take home. This year’s ClydeFEST is set for Saturday, May 2 from from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Ball Field in Bynum just south of Chapel Hill/Carrboro towards Pittsboro. Admission is $7 for ages 12 and up, $3 for ages 3-11, and free for children under age 3. In case of inclement weather, the festival will be held from 1-5 p.m. May 3rd.

(written by Bett Wilson Foley, photographs taken at The Barn at Fearrington in Pittsboro, NC)

Bynum Nostalgia

July 21, 2014 by onfranklin&main

Channelling modern-day Norman Rockwell at the Bynum General Store in Bynum, NC.

Once anchored by a cotton mill (shell remains), Bynum was a bustling community with an active general store, movie theatre and school. Today, most folks know the small village set along the banks of the Haw River as the home to critter artist Clyde Jones and his painted wooden creations spotted on porches and lawns throughout town.

On Friday evenings, Bynum swells when families flock to take in the free concerts as part of the Bynum Front Porch Friday Night Music Series. The concerts occur throughout the summer in an outdoor venue wedged between The General Store (now used as a community center) and a vacant building.

Bynum is about a 20-minute drive from Chapel Hill/Carrboro.

A Clyde Jones critter is raffled at the Bynum Front Porch Friday Night Music Series.

(photographs taken at The General Store in Bynum, NC)