There is little doubt that James Walker Tufts had a plan for his village before traveling to the Sandhills to purchase the property. He had been interested in the farm-community at Deerfield, Massachusetts where farmers lived in a central town rather than on the farms. He also had some experience in health resorts but found fault in that there was little for the guests to do and it was an idle, dull and frustrating experience¹. 

He was also a pragmatic, analytical individual and realized he would have to provide all the infrastructure a living town would need such as water, sewage, electricity, telephone service, heat for the dwellings, transportation to and from the village, recreation activities, a store for provisions, meal service to guests, religious services, schools for extended stay families, etc. This would entail a significant design and construction effort, particularly in a remote location with no existing infrastructure.

To accomplish the design for his village, Tufts turned to the most prodigious and well-known landscape architectural firm in the country, the firm of Olmsted, Olmsted, and Eliot.

The Olmsted firm originated in the fall of 1857, when Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux agreed to enter the design competition for Central Park in New York. In 1878, Olmsted began the transition to the Boston area that resulted in a permanent change of residence to Brookline, Massachusetts. There, at “Fairsted,” he began to form the firm that continued to operate from Brookline until 1979, when the property, structures and collections became part of the National Park Service as the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site².

In 1895, Fredrick Law Olmsted, Sr. retired from active practice in the firm, a victim of failing memory, increasing senility, and lack of vitality. Throughout 1895, his stepson John Charles Olmsted and noted architect Charles Eliot carried the firm’s workload since his son Fredrick Law Olmsted, Jr., having graduated from Harvard just the year before, spent most of 1895 working on the job at the Biltmore estate outside Asheville, North Carolina. Fredrick Jr. did become a partner in the firm later in 1895, replacing his father.

Partners of the Firm of Olmsted, Olmsted, and Eliot in 1895

In mid-June 1895, James Walker Tufts, having acquired firm contracts for the land in the Sandhills, immediately contacted the Olmsted firm to start the design phase for the town.   

Following is a copy of the Olmsted firm’s “visit report” for that first contact with James Walker Tufts.  This is dated June 20^th, which may be mis-typed or this “visit” was likely a telephone call Tufts placed from Southern Pines or Aberdeen to line up the Olmsted firm, give them an overview of what he was thinking, and request a quote. This document is from the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress, Washington, DC. 

As can be seen from the document, James Walker Tufts laid out an overview of what he was trying to accomplish and his general plan for the village. He also asked for the cost of a plan and Olmsted replied, "$300". 

On Wednesday, July 3, 1895, Tufts met with both J. C. Olmsted and F. L Olmsted to discuss further details. It is likely that after this visit Fredrick Law Olmsted Sr. may have had substantial input to the plan. Following is the Olmsted firm’s two-page visit report of that meeting:

Page 1

From these requirements, the Olmsted firm was then to provide a general design of the town, streets, layout, location of buildings, landscaping, etc. As it turns out, the Olmsted firm was more involved in the design and engineering decisions than they may have anticipated at first.

Apparently, the Olmsted firm went right to work as there is a layout plan dated July 6, 1895 drawn in ink on linen, which appears to be of the village and the various structures locating the hotel and cottages⁴. 

In all, there are well over a hundred letters, plans and other correspondence in the archives at the Library of Congress and the Olmsted Archives at Fairsted relating to this project dated from June 1895 through February 1896. This correspondence indicates that John Charles Olmsted was apparently the lead partner for this job at the Olmsted firm³.   

This correspondence gives some insight into the vast number of design and engineering decisions that were required in building a village from scratch in a barren landscape. They also demonstrate the pragmatic, analytical mind of Tufts and how he would study, confer with experts, learn possible options related to building the infrastructure, and direct the Olmsted firm to incorporate these decisions into the final plan regardless of their aesthetic appeal.

This is a typed letter from Tufts to the Olmsted firm, dated June 30, 1895, discussing the location of the water tank and location of water wells. It also goes on to point out that water has been found at a depth of 25 feet and Tufts' primary engineer, Mr. Henry E. Knox, advises that they raise the water to the tank with a “Merrill Pulsator” operated by a windmill and then describes the piping required for this system. Tufts asks the Olmsted firm for their advice as to the suitable location for the water tank. This would prove to be a major bone of contention between Tufts and the Olmsted firm.

Selected extracts from correspondence from the Olmsted firm to Tufts give an insight into the relationship, how Tufts added new ideas, and continually revised the plan and locations of buildings and facilities as he received more detailed information from engineers as construction progressed in the fall of 1895. They also give an idea to the incredible speed at which the town was being planned and developed.

Letters from the Olmsted firm to James Walker Tufts:

July 26, 1895   “Mr. J. C. Olmsted is expected here by Saturday, July 27th, when he will doubtless be ready to do anything he can to assist you in the matter of placing additional houses.”

July 31, 1895   “... studying request to locate elevated tank and windmill near the Broad Branch ... regretted that you find it necessary to place such a conspicuously ugly object as a water tank and windmill ... best location would be down by the railroad ...”

August 8, 1895  “We think we must have failed to make ourselves clear in regards to the windmill ... our advice was to place the tank ... with or without the windmill ... down by the railroad ... the Pine Grove would conceal a greater part of the trestle work supporting the tank ...”

August 12, 1895  (this letter contains detailed specifications on the locations of heating plant, cafe, casino, hotel and other structures and the following comment on maps  provided by Tufts to the Olmsted firm)  “The curve of the railroad as indicated on the map resembles very much the outline of a section of a potato.  We wish you would have your engineer give us the correct curves and location of the railroad.”

September 3, 1895  “... received letter from Mr. Knox dated August 19 ... Knox agrees to water tower in pine wood but wants pumping plant at wells and steam plant at hotel ... seems to us unwise to take such a short-sighted view ... of heating plant location ...”

September 9, 1895  “We enclose tracing desired ... print of our preliminary plan ... Mr. Manning is about starting on a business trip ... he will visit Pinehurst, probably in about a week.”

NOTE:  This is the first use of the village name “Pinehurst” in communications from Olmsted

September 17, 1895  “Sending another copy of the plan... if intending to publish in connection with your pamphlet, it would be desirable to correct on our plan the outline of the hotel and cafe.” 

September 17, 1895  “Mr. Manning will join you at Southern Pines on the arrival of the morning train on the 24^th.  ... unless we hear from you.”

September 19, 1895  “... suggest location of houses on map as built rather from architect’s drawings ...”

October 3, 1895  “We are not sanitary engineers and generally wish to avoid becoming responsible for engineering work, but will consider a preliminary scheme of sewage disposal ...  Plants have been ordered from foreign nurseries ... we think tank tower site is very conspicuous and is in no way appropriate ... Mr. Manning indicates you have abandoned casino site, which we supposed would be in the pine grove and wish to combine within the cafe.  We never would have thought of selecting this site for the casino ... and hope you will not develop the casino at this point ...”

October 9, 1895  “... offer following suggestions as to sewer system ... Recommend sewage be delivered to water-tight tank or cesspool, discharging ... with half-day holdup ... to a tile field  ... storm water carried by separate system to nearest water course  or distributed over the ground ... latter method can be adopted at Pinehurst ...clean water can easily percolate through sandy soil.”

October 18, 1895  “... It would certainly be advisable to plant rye this Autumn on the Village Green.“

November 8, 1895  “... drawing well underway:  will send to your Boston address as soon as finished.”

December 6, 1895  “... We sent you a colored print on the 4^th  ... made at our expense, thinking you would like to hang up in your office in Boston or in the Hotel in Pinehurst ...”

February 3, 1895  “... As we understand it, you are not likely to ask of us any further general or working plans.  On the other hand, it seems to us that you will... desire ... some competent person concerning new plantations of trees and shrubbery ... Mr. Warren H. Manning, who has been connected with our office during eight years and our planting assistant during several years, is now leaving us to develop ... independent practice ... we recommend him to you ... “

An equal number of letters from James walker Tufts to the Olmsted firm indicates that he was in almost constant contact with the Olmsted firm and other engineers and suppliers of products necessary to build the village.

In this three-page letter, dated August 9, 1895, Tufts describes how water was found at the site and he has changed his mind and plans to build the electric trolley rail line to Southern Pines rather than a horse drawn line on wooden rails.

He wrote many of his letters from his summer house at Cottage City, on Martha’s Vineyard Island.

Later the same day, Tufts wrote another letter to the Olmsted firm advising them he had information from his engineer, Mr. Knox, along with a sketch showing the preferred location for the water tank.

Tufts' communications with the Olmsted firm, engineers, machinery manufacturers, and designers is almost continuous from June 1895. What is obvious is that the design and building of the village occupied every waking moment of James Walker Tufts' life in the second half of 1895.  

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References:

1. James Walker Tufts, The Founder of Pinehurst, North Carolina a limited edition publication by   Richard S. Tufts 1976
2. National Association for Olmsted Parks, Washington, DC   2020
3. Olmsted Associates Records: Job Files, - job number 01772; Tufts, J. W.; Town development; Pinehurst, N.C., 1895. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Library of Congress, Washington DC
4. Letter from Olmsted Associates Inc. to Richard Tufts dated June 13, 1978