Southern Pines, North Carolina
| Location | |
|---|---|
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Moore |
| Region | Sandhills |
| History | |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Founded by | John T. Patrick |
| Incorporated | 1887 |
| Population | |
| 2020 census | 15,545 |
Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, in the Sandhills region. It was founded in 1887 as a health and winter resort among the longleaf pine forests. The population was 15,545 at the 2020 census.[1]
History[edit]
Founding as a resort[edit]
Southern Pines was established in 1887 by John T. Patrick, who promoted the Sandhills as a healthful place for visitors from the North, citing its mild winters and pine-scented air. The town grew around a stop on the railroad line that became the Seaboard Air Line Railway, and it was incorporated the same year.[2]
Winter colony[edit]
Hotels and winter cottages were built for seasonal residents from the Northeast and Midwest. The founding of nearby Pinehurst by James W. Tufts in 1895 added golf to the area's attractions, and the two communities developed together as a resort region.[2]
James Boyd and Weymouth[edit]
The novelist James Boyd, author of the Revolutionary War novel Drums (1925), made his home at the Weymouth estate in Southern Pines, where he entertained writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. The estate is now the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities and houses the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame.[3]
Horse country[edit]
From the early 20th century the Southern Pines area became known for fox hunting, steeplechasing and horse training, and equestrian activity remains an important part of local life.[2]
Natural areas[edit]
Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, a state nature preserve within the town, protects a stand of old longleaf pines and interprets the Sandhills ecosystem.[4]
See also[edit]
- Tryon – another North Carolina horse-country town
- Hillsborough
- List of North Carolina town articles