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<br />NATIONAL TRUST
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<br />www.nationaltrust.org
<br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Office of Communications, 202-588-6141
<br />NATIONAL TRUST NAMES HILLSB®ROUGII, N.C., ONE OF AMERICA'S
<br />DOZEN DISTINCTIVE DESTINATIONS
<br />Annual List Promotes Heritage Tourism
<br />Washington, D.C. (March 7, 2007) -- Founded in 1754, Hillsborough, N.C., is a small town with a big history.
<br />Laid out on a prime parcel of real estate where the Great Indian Trading Path crosses the Eno River, the town today
<br />capitalizes on its distinctive heritage, eye-catching natural beauty and proximity to the nearby business and academic
<br />centers of Raleigh-Durham and the Research Triangle. During the town's early years, several royal and elected
<br />governors lived in this center of political activity, as did a signer of the Declaration of Independence, William
<br />Hooper, whose house still stands. Among its other claims to fame, the town hosted the third Provincial Congress in
<br />1775 and the state's constitutional convention in 1788. Hillsborough remained a political and cultural center in the
<br />nineteenth century, and today the home that served as Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's headquarters when he surrendered
<br />the largest of the Confederate armies to Gen. William T. Sherman, is the town's visitors' center. The centerpiece of
<br />old Hillsborough is Churton St., a picturesque and charming southern byway with a number of inviting restaurants,
<br />shops and galleries. The town is a favorite of both Revolutionary War re-enactors and barbecue lovers; who
<br />descend each June for the annual Hog Day celebration, and is also the home of the Occoneechee Speedway, one of
<br />the first two NASCAR tracks and the only one remaining from the inaugural 1949 season. Outdoor enthusiasts
<br />won't want to miss hiking Occoneechee Mountain State Park, the highest point in the area, or the 1-mile Poet's
<br />Walk at the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Partner Place, Ayr Mount, an 1815 Federal-era plantation
<br />house, magnificently restored and furnished with period antiques and fine art.
<br />For these reasons, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation
<br />organization, today named Hillsborough, N.C., to its 20071ist of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an
<br />annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States. Hillsborough was selected from 63
<br />destinations in 27 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and local communities.
<br />"Hillsborough is a perfect Southern host -- charming, hospitable and always fun," said Richard Moe, president of the
<br />National Trust for Historic Preservation. "While Hillsborough cherishes its history, this is no staid museum exhibit
<br />but a vibrant town with an eye firrnly focused on the future."
<br />The 20071ist of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations includes:
<br />Charlottesville, Va. -- In the shadow of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville, Va., is apicture-perfect
<br />college town with vibrant shops, restaurants, wineries and a slew of presidential homes including Jefferson's
<br />Monticello, Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland and Madison's Montpelier, a National Trust Historic site located in
<br />nearby Orange, Va.
<br />Chatham, Mass. --Beloved by fishermen and sea captains for centuries, the charming coastal town of Chatham,
<br />Mass., boasts exquisite natural beauty, a charming, architecturally rich wallcable downtown and some of the best,
<br />unspoiled beaches on the East Coast.
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