He’s not just any old guy dressed up in 18th century garb. He’s the mayor of Hertford, Sid Eley.

The fact that Hertford Mayor Sid Eley, 63, is willing to dress up in colonial-era clothing tells you something about the man. He’s got spirit. More to the point, he’s got community spirit and he’s willing to go many extra miles to promote his beloved Hertford and Perquimans County.

“People remember that the mayor takes time to dress funny for them,” says Eley with a wry smile on his face.

When Eley dresses in colonial clothing, he is known as “The Lord Mayor.” It’s a moniker that was given to him when he first agreed to take on this persona for the historic Newbold-White House, a colonial-era Quaker settlement on the Perquimans River.

Each Christmas, the Newbold-White House holds a holiday celebration on the grounds and one of the big events there is the burning of the Yule Log. The Lord Mayor himself lights the log.

But that’s only a small part of the story. Dressing up for Eley goes beyond events at the historic settlement, a place that is touted as the oldest brick building in North Carolina.

If you are on a tour bus and you’re headed to Hertford for a day trip from, say, Virginia, in all likelihood Eley’s Lord Mayor character will be your tour guide.

“Any time a tour bus comes and lets us know (in advance), I will act as their tour guide,” says Eley. “For 20 or more I will dress up (as Lord Mayor).”

Eley’s day job is director of the Hertford Chamber of Commerce. Inside a quaint, historic building that fronts as a visitor center on Market Street, there is a small office in the back where he works. Eley sits in that office surrounded by the artifacts of his life, including numerous photographs, a two-way radio because he’s a volunteer firefighter and Hertford and Perquimans information.

To say Eley is a cheerleader for Hertford would be a bit of an understatement. And while there are clearly many who love the town that was chartered in 1758, Eley may well be its number one proponent.

“I love my town and I love history,” says Eley.

Eley is a Hertford native. After graduating from Perquimans High School he went off to university, got a degree and returned home. He says he returned to Hertford with the notion that he would teach school for a short time, while trying to figure out where his career would take him.

Eley says he didn’t plan to stay in his hometown the rest of his life. But once he began teaching school, he fell in love with the profession. He stayed, married, raised a family and taught middle school for 31 years.

His sense of pride in his community first took the form of action when he ran for and was elected to the town council. Eley was a town councilman for eight years.

He is now in his third term as mayor. He’s held the office for 11 years and isn’t certain one way or another whether he’ll run again, or not.

Regardless of his Eley’s office, it’s clear that his role as promoter of Hertford and Perquimans is one he cherishes. Eley can recite the history of the area, and can leave visitors with a real sense that they have been told something by someone who knows what he’s talking about.

Last month Windsor, Va., man Earl Wilkins made a pilgrimage to Hertford and the visitor’s center. Wilkins is a life-long Yankees fan and although he had lost his sight two years ago, visiting the Jimmy “Catfish” Hunter room at the visitor’s center was something he had to do.

“I was very impressed with what was in there and very impressed with the presentation the mayor made,” Wilkins says of his visit to Hertford’s Hunter room. “He talked a lot about going to school with him and what not. The main thing is, he knew what he was talking about.”

And that’s clearly part of Eley’s charm. He knows what is talking about and visitors clearly trust his knowledge of local history.

Hertford is one of those small, out of the way places that is easily overlooked for its historical value. Yet once discovered, it becomes a favorite stop for many folks.

Eley points out that it is the home of a couple significant historical firsts. It was home to the first female postmaster; home to the first recorded land deed in North Carolina; and home to the first free agent in professional baseball, Jimmy Hunter.

Of course, those are the stories he can tell when people visit his town. Eley points out that while stories like those, or the fact that Wolfman Jack lived and died in Perquimans County, fascinate visitors, it’s the slice of old Americana Hertford offers that keeps them coming back for more.

Eley’s office is situated in the midst of a downtown the likes of which Walt Disney might have imagined when he created his version of Main Street. It’s the type of place Eley says folks want to visit because it reminds them of another time.

And the people, he says, are all pretty nice folk. Eley is among them, as well.

While Eley plays his role as mayor with aplomb and charm, he does so in a fashion that suits him. He says when the day comes for Hertford to have a new mayor, the role that person takes on will be up to him or her.

Until then Eley is Lord Mayor, and he has the costume to prove it.