Next month, the National Park Service (NPS) will begin seeking the public’s input on a study designed to guide preservation of North Carolina’s historic Pinehurst Village, a nationally-significant golf resort and community established in 1895.
Initial public commenting on the Pinehurst National Historic Landmark District will open from Feb. 2 to March 15 and include opportunities to submit written comments and participate in public meetings, held virtually.
“We are pleased to offer this opportunity to hear from the Pinehurst community and stakeholders and help identify measures to ensure the district’s long-term health and viability as a National Historic Landmark,” said Ellen Rankin, acting regional manager for the NPS National Historic Landmarks program.
Two virtual public meetings to discuss the Pinehurst study and answer questions about the project will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (ET). During the meetings, the National Park Service will seek input on the successes, challenges and opportunities within the district regarding specific projects, initiatives and trends that may impact or contribute to the district’s historic character.
Additionally, NPS will host a series of listening sessions with community members directly involved in the management of the district, including local government officials, business owners, preservation experts and others to gain a greater understanding of their efforts to preserve the district.
The NPS will also accept written comments online or by postal mail for consideration in the study’s initial draft. Comments may be submitted:
Online (the preferred method)
Visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/pinehurst
Select “Open for Comment” on the left menu bar, open the “February Public Meetings” folder and click on the green “Comment Now” button to access the online commenting form; or
By Postal Mail, send comments to:
Ellen Rankin
attn: Pinehurst NHLD Study
National Park Service
100 Alabama Avenue, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Written comments on the initial phase of the study must be submitted online or be postmarked by March 15, 2021 to be considered. Additional opportunities for commenting and public engagement will be offered during the course of the study project.
For more information about the Pinehurst National Historic Landmarks District Integrity and Condition Study, including public meeting details, virtual log-in instructions and more, visit the planning website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/pinehurst.
About the Pinehurst National Historic Landmark District
Designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in 1996, the Pinehurst National Historic Landmark District is significant for its extraordinary role in the development of the sport of golf and resort communities and for its association with golfer and golf course designer Donald Ross. Designed by the prominent landscape architecture firm of Olmsted, Olmstead, and Eliot, the village encompasses “a designed network of curvilinear roads embracing the village green in a lush evergreen landscape…on which late-Victorian, Colonial Revival, and Bungalow-style hotels, cottages, stores and churches were built, golf courses were laid out,” and a multitude of other recreational venues (Pinehurst Historic District National Historic Landmark Nomination, 1996).
About the Study
One cornerstone of the National Historic Landmarks (NHL) Program is monitoring the condition of NHLs to identify those that exhibit damage or face threats to the integrity of their resources. This information enables the NPS, stewards, policy makers and the public to take action to preserve these most significant exemplars of our heritage for future generations. As a part of this process, the NPS has commissioned a study by Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc. to document, in narrative and graphic formats, major changes that occurred within and adjacent to the Pinehurst NHL District since its designation in 1996. The study will also examine current and future projects and trends that may affect the district’s integrity. The NPS goal is for the information contained in this study to aid in the stewardship of the NHL by providing policy makers and the public with a better understanding of the district.
About the National Historic Landmarks Program
The National Historic Landmarks Program works with preservation officials, private property owners and other partners to provide states and local communities with technical assistance, recognition and funding to help preserve our nation’s shared history and create close-to-home recreation opportunities.
Feature photo: Magnolia Inn, Village of Pinehurst Historic District, captured by Sandhills Sentinel Photographer John Patota.
Contributed.
