Where is Chatham County?
Located in the central piedmont of North Carolina about 30 miles west of Raleigh and midway between the mountains and the coast, Chatham County is known for its lush, rolling farmland, easy lifestyle, and a vibrant music, literary and arts community. It is anchored by Pittsboro, the county seat on the east and Siler City (home of the Andy Griffith Show’s Aunt Bea) on the west, with by-ways and hamlets in-between. Tour-goers often meet up at Pittsboro’s General Store Cafe, just west of the courthouse circle, for coffee or breakfast before setting out on “the tour.” Wood-fired, salt-glazed stoneware distinguishes Lara O’Keefe Pottery Lara’s farmhouse and kiln were first on our list today. She began making pots in 1996 while a student at Warren Wilson College just outside Asheville, NC. After graduation, Lara kept at it and learned studio basics at a nearby pottery in Weaverville. When an opportunity opened up for her to apprentice at Jugtown Pottery in Seagrove. Lara jumped on it. She gr