Completed Pinehust NHLD Integrity and Condition Study

To help stewards and preservation partners of the Pinehurst National Historic Landmark District (NHL District) understand the current condition of the NHL District, the NPS commissioned a study titled Pinehurst National Historic Landmark District Integrity and Condition Study (the study). Prepared by Richard Grubb & Associates, the report documents in narrative and graphic formats the major changes that have occurred within and adjacent to the NHL District since its designation in 1996. The contractor was directed to prepare a report describing and analyzing the current integrity and condition of NHL District as a whole, using the NHL bulletin, How to Prepare National Historic Landmark Nominations.

Throughout the study running from 2020-2022, the project involved research, a reconnaissance survey, photographic documentation, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis and mapping, and several means of public involvement to gather local area knowledge and inform areas of investigation. Occurring at the start and the end of the project, the NPS hosted and facilitated forums consisting of representatives from the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the Village of Pinehurst, local historic preservation professionals, major landowners, parties with a demonstrated interest in the NHL District, and the public. Following these forums and throughout the course of the project, the NPS also solicited public comment.

Completed in 2022, the study definitively demonstrates that the Pinehurst NHL District retains the qualities for which it was originally designated as an NHL; confirms that the NHL designation is merited; and that the NHL District is not a candidate for de-designation. Because Pinehurst is not a museum, but a growing and evolving community, change is to be expected. And change inevitably exerts pressure on the physical characteristics of any place. Sometimes growth brings about the irretrievable loss of historic fabric; other times it can restore or reinforce historic features.

Despite the changes to the landscape and buildings, the study found that, the Pinehurst NHL District retains the requisite high degree of integrity for NHL designation. However, this assessment revealed several potential areas of concern, both intangible and tangible, requiring the balance of historic preservation, traffic management, and pedestrian safety.

Moving Forward:

The NPS is part of a team devoted to the care and stewardship of the Pinehurst NHL District. Considering the district's national significance and the numerous management challenges it faces, it is important that NPS take an active role in supporting local and state officials, private groups, and individuals in their efforts to preserve the NHL District. The NPS and the Village should prioritize prompt as well as open and regular communication and cooperation in our shared goal of enhancing and preserving the Pinehurst NHL District.

Maintenance of any historic property, whether it be a single building or a large district, requires constant attention and active management. NPS will continue to monitor the Pinehurst NHL District and welcomes new information concerning the issues discussed in this memo. Furthermore, the NPS looks forward to assisting the local community and our collaborative preservation partners working toward the common goal of protecting the unique qualities that make the Pinehurst NHL District a place of national importance.

Please contact Ellen Rankin, Archeological and Historic Preservation Partnerships Program at Ellen_Rankin@nps.gov if you have any questions or require additional information.

Document Content:

Pinehurst NHL IC Study FINAL_20230201_1A2.pdf   (180.6 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.