Worth the trip: 'Pottery capital of the US' located in heart of North Carolina

The original residents of the area came because of the great farming soil, according to Lambert.

"If you think about the geology of North Carolina over millions and millions of years ... it was a very different place. The mountains were much, much bigger. There was a lot of volcanic activity in the nearby regions as well, and that was depositing ash at the same time [and] the sea level was much higher ... so between the higher ocean level and the ash from the volcanoes over millions of years, you had these wonderful, rich clay deposits that developed out of it," said Lambert.

And, the settlers had to figure out how to continue making money outside of their crop's season.

"They had to figure out some other ways to make ends meet during the course of the year, and a number of them took up pottery," explained Lambert.

"So, why did it become such a haven [for the potters]? I would say the geology, the soul, the clay and tying that into them being both farmers and potters," he added.

The potters living in the Seagrove area in present day are a mix of multiple-generation artists and newcomers.

Lambert adds that the potters who have moved into the area in the 21st century have not all trained in the traditional manner for pottery. Instead, many have received a bachelor's or master's degree in ceramics and fine art, rather than being trained through an apprenticeship or learning on their own.

"[The pottery] has shifted a bit away from all of the traditional family lineage. [But] it's still certainly an important part," said Lambert.

Lambert said the NC Pottery Center, which is also located in Seagrove, is a great starting point for those coming into the area for pottery.

"We're a museum and education center," said Lambert. "Our mission is sharing North Carolina potters' stories of past and present."

The private, nonprofit pottery center often has historical and contemporary exhibits for visitors.

"We also have a couple shelves of just examples of pieces of local potters," said Lambert. "Those examples, along with a map that's produced by the Seagrove Potters' Association, really provides a framework for visitors to be able to determine what they like, what they're interested in and who they want to go see."

Since everyone visiting the Seagrove area has different tastes and each potter has a distinct style, the pottery center can serve as a go-between.

Pottery center employees can help to connect visitors with the potters behind the artwork they connect to most.

"It's a little bit of a matchmaking process in terms of figuring out who you like and who you want to get to see," said Lambert.

"People are always asking us, 'Who do you recommend that we not miss seeing?' We don't answer that question. We instead say, 'Well what sort of pottery are you interested in?' And then we get them look at them map [and] we get them looking at the examples and we just try to get them pointed in the direction of things that they're interested in," said Lambert.

Lambert said the pottery center typically has 8,000 visitors from the United States and beyond in a pre-pandemic year.

"We have visitors from almost every state ... and in a normal year, we would get visitors from 20 plus countries," he said.

Wherever people are visiting from, Lambert said they're sure to find pottery they'll fall in love with.

"That's the fun part of it. There's truly something for everyone here in North Carolina," he added.