About
About the Bynum Front Porch
Contact Us
Have questions or want to get involved? Here’s how to reach us:
General Inquiries: contact@bynumfrontporch.org
Publicity & PR: press@bynumfrontporch.org
Event Rentals (Store): storeuse@bynumfrontporch.org
Music Booking: booking@bynumfrontporch.org
Volunteer Opportunities: volunteer@bynumfrontporch.org
Come join us—there’s always a place for you on the porch.
Check our recorded events out on YouTube!
You can also check us out on Facebook and Instagram!
Find us in Bynum, located at:
950 Bynum Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312 Bynum, North Carolina
Want to mail us? Send mail to:
Bynum Front Porch
PO Box 381
Bynum, NC 27228
Bynum is an unincorporated community in Chatham County, North Carolina, situated along the Haw River between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill. Once a thriving mill town, Bynum is now best known for its preserved historic general store, its front porch concerts, and the tight-knit community spirit that has endured through economic hardship, loss, and renewal.
“Bynum isn’t just a dot on a map,” one resident told a local reporter. “It’s a way of waving to everyone you pass, a place where the river keeps time and the front porch is still the evening news.”
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Early Roots: A Town Built on the Haw
The story begins in 1872, when a cotton mill was constructed on the banks of the Haw River, powered by a wooden dam. The sound of the water wheels, turning slow and steady, became the heartbeat of the young settlement.
In 1886, industrialist John Milton Odell purchased the property. Odell replaced the old wheels with water turbines, not only increasing production but also generating electric light—a remarkable luxury for a rural community in the late 19th century. The mill village shone in the dark, a little beacon along the Haw.
Between 1890 and 1910, rows of company-owned mill houses rose on the hill above the river. These were plain white clapboard homes—front porches, rocking chairs, and children playing marbles in the dirt. Workers were often paid in company-issued scrip, which could only be spent at the mill’s store. Life revolved entirely around the mill’s rhythms: the morning whistle starting the day, the evening whistle releasing the town into dusk.
“When the whistle blew at night, the whole town exhaled at once,” one former mill worker remembered.
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The General Store: The Town’s Living Room
In the mid-1930s, the Williams family built what became the soul of Bynum—the general store. By the time Frank and Louise Harris ran it as the Harris & Farrell General Store, it had already become the meeting place for everyone in town. It sold groceries, dry goods, hardware, and—most importantly—served as the post office.
Outside, a long wooden bench stretched across the porch, weathered by decades of elbows and boots. Locals called it “the news desk.” Retired loggers leaned their walking sticks nearby, farmers in overalls swapped weather predictions, and children sat swinging their legs while waiting for a candy treat.
Ted Williams, who grew up in Bynum, said the bench wasn’t just a seat—it was a memory sponge, soaked with laughter, heartbreak, and everyday talk.
Inside, the store was a single low-ceilinged room with creaking pine floors and shelves that smelled of coffee, kerosene, and cloth. Behind a glass display case sat the post office counter, where the postmaster knew everyone’s handwriting and could tell who’d gotten a letter before they even walked in.
This was where new babies were introduced, where people found out who was sick, where help was offered before it was even asked for. It was commerce, community, and comfort under one tin roof.
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Decline and Shutters Closing
The mill ran for over a century but finally closed in 1983 when Odell Manufacturing ceased operations. Jobs disappeared. Families moved away. One by one, businesses went dark. The general store held on as long as it could, but in 2006, it too closed its doors.
The day the post office shut down was especially bitter. For many in Bynum, losing their ZIP code felt like losing their name. But the town rallied, successfully petitioning for a postal kiosk so they could keep “Bynum, NC” on their addresses.
“We lost the mill, we lost the store, but we weren’t about to lose our name.”
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A Cultural Revival: Music on the Porch
Even before the store closed, something new had begun stirring. In 2001, locals started the Bynum Music Series—free Friday night concerts on the store’s front porch. People brought folding chairs, kids danced barefoot in the grass, and fairy lights twinkled over the old wooden posts. You could hear the music mingle with the sound of the river.
When the store closed in 2006, the community formed the nonprofit Bynum Front Porch to keep it alive as a gathering space. They obtained nonprofit status in 2009 and have since turned the store into a hub for concerts, storytelling, art shows, yoga classes, and scout meetings.
Inside, a small lending library shares space with a makeshift stage. In the winter, storytelling nights fill the room, and in the summer, the porch becomes a stage for bluegrass, folk, gospel, and Americana. Notable performers have included Tift Merritt, Jon Shain, The Gravy Boys, and the Durham Ukulele Orchestra.
The store even hosted an auction of community history—quilts, paintings, tools, and a famous “Clyde Jones Critter” sculpture—raising money to keep the building standing.
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Seasonal Rituals and Living Memory
Each Halloween, the Bynum Bridge becomes a glowing lantern path, lined with hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns carved by residents. The old bridge, now pedestrian-only, has also become a year-round gathering space for art displays and quiet reflection over the Haw.
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Present Day
Today, the Bynum General Store is one of the few surviving original rural country stores in Chatham County. It no longer sells sacks of flour or penny candy, but it serves something just as vital: a place to gather, to listen, and to belong.
The mill is gone, but the river still runs, the porch still holds the summer air, and the town’s name is still its own.
“You come for the music, for the stories, for the river’s whisper,” lifetime local Martha Collins said, “but you stay because in Bynum, someone still remembers your name.”
Join us in celebrating Bynum's past, present, and future!
Programs
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday - Bluegrass Circle Jam
Twice a month join the gathering for the Bluegrass Jam Circle and make music. You can join the fun every 2nd and 4th Saturday throughout the year, right here at 950 Bynum Rd. The circle forms around 10am until 12ish. This is an open circle type jam for all skill levels and ages. If you pick, bring your instrument. If you sing, bring your voice. Come enjoy great music at the historic Bynum General Store. Pickers are asked to bring Acoustic Instruments Only. As always, the Circle Jam is Free and open to the public!
Summer - Bynum Front Porch Friday Night Music
The Bynum Front Porch Friday Night Music Series kicks off the first weekend in May. Every Friday Night from 7 - 8:30 pm May through the end of August. Each week the bands take the outdoor stage or we move inside if the rain clouds roll our way.
The Bynum Friday Night Music series began in 2001. Bynum neighbors wanted to create an event that would help sustain the Bynum General Store and Post Office the social center of the community. The General Store’s operator retired in 2006 and there was no one waiting in the wings to take over.
Located off of Highway 15-501, Bynum was originally a cotton mill village set along the banks of the Haw River with the first mill built around 1872. As the mill grew, the town grew and became a vibrant community where neighbors knew each other and played along the river banks. In 1934, the Bynum General Store opened and was one of the five stores in town. There was also two grist mills, a movie theater and a school. The mill closed in 1983 and Bynum’s community life started changing. Fast-forward to today, the mill and school long gone but the residents of Bynum are just as vibrant as years past and the longing to keep a community together continues to grow strong.
To keep the community gathering place alive, Bynum Front Porch was created as a non-profit and leases the old general store. The organization creates family-friendly events and programs that celebrate the community’s rich history and bright future. Now all gather under the night sky or move indoors when weather becomes inclement. The Bynum Friday Night Music Series runs May through the end of August and is open to the public featuring a variety of bands spanning multiple musical genres, including gospel, folk, blues, rockabilly and bluegrass. No tickets are needed to come and a hat is passed for contributions.
Food vendors on site.
Fall and Winter: “Mill Town Yarns” Monthly Indoor Performance Series
Experience the magic of storytelling and live performance in our charming former mill village. Each month, top storytellers, singer/songwriters, and other performers share their craft within the historic walls of the Bynum General Store. Enjoy intimate one-of-a-kind experiences in a unique venue!
The Bynum Front Porch “Mill Town Yarns” series is recognized by the NC Storytellers Guild as one of the state’s premier storytelling hubs.
The 2025-26 season will feature a mix of professional and local performers. Most shows are free, with a hat passed for donations. For high-demand shows, advanced tickets will be available to reserve seats.
2025-26 Season Lineup (see calendar for more details):
Saturday Sept. 13: “Sing Me a Story” acoustic singer showcase, with local celebrity musicians performing their favorite “song that tells a story;” including David Quick (The Swang Brothers), Rebecca Newton (Rebecca & the Hightones), Robert Waldrop (The Jive Bombers), and more! See calendar for more details.
Saturday Oct. 11: Lipbone Redding, internationally-known one man orchestra/songwriter/storyteller, back by popular demand. Ticketed show--Buy $13 tickets here
Saturday Nov. 15: North Carolina Storytellers showcase, including professional NC Storytelling Guild performers Steve Tate, Robin Kitson, Willa Brigham, Cynthia Brown, and Ron Jones.
Saturday Jan. 17: Chatham County Stories & Music
Saturday Feb. 7: Internationally known musician/storyteller Michael Reno Harrell, with internationally known musician Josh Goforth. Ticketed show--Buy $20 tickets here
Saturday Mar. 14: Internationally known “stand up comic”-style storyteller Bil Lepp. Ticketed show--Buy $10 tickets here
Saturday Apr. 11: First Annual MTY Story Slam! With special musical guest Mysti Mayhem.
Other programs
Over the years we have hosted Girls & Boy Scouts, community picnics, and offered our facility for rent to the wider Bynum community for things such as birthday parties, baby showers, wedding receptions, and much much more. In the past, we have given Grants to Chatham County students (over $60,000) to continue their education. We will continue to support our students in partnership with the music and arts booster clubs in local schools.