The smell of gunpowder and vegetable stew flowed through the air in downtown Hillsborough on Saturday.
The front lawn of the Hillsborough Visitors Center was filled with American flags and booths with volunteers explaining colonial life, from how the settlers made mustard to their modes of dress.
This was all a part of Revolutionary War Living History Day, or “Rev War Day” for short, which spanned across town at the Visitors Center, the Orange County Historical Museum and the Burwell School Historic Site.
Events like pine needle basket making were also hosted at the Occaneechi Village Replica Site in River Park, constructed by members of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation.
Many of the volunteers were from Historical Interpretations, an organization that creates living history at schools and events for the general public. One of the volunteers was Duncan Bordeaux, who was stationed by the front of the Visitors Center in his 18th century regalia.
“I wear period clothes and as people come in, I greet them and tell them a little bit about what I’m doing and what I’m wearing, and what someone who is dressed as I am would be doing at this point in time,” he said.
Bordeaux was dressed almost completely in red, with a vest made from expensive Indian fabric and a hat adorned with several feathers. He said was wearing clothing that was typical of a sailor at the time who had gained wealth by migrating to North America.
Amanda Boyd, the executive director of the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, said partnering with organizations like Historical Interpretations is important in the alliance's mission of promoting and preserving Hillsborough's heritage.
Bordeaux said that he and the other volunteers participate in educating the public on historical events that relate to the area. For Revolutionary War Living History Day specifically, he said they came to celebrate the city's extensive involvement in American independence.
