The Village of Pinehurst has a long and interesting history. As you may of heard, when Mr. James Tufts founded the Village in in 1895 he hired the firm of Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot to lay out the design of the new Village. The senior partner in the firm was none other than Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., the Father of Landscape Architecture. Olmsted Sr. is best known for designing the grounds of New York City's Central Park, the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the Biltmore Estate and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The year 2022 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. on April 26, 1822. 

In addition to the 200th anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted's birthday, 2022 is also the 150th anniversary of the birth of another very influential person in the history of Pinehurst--Donald J. Ross. Donald Ross was born on November 23, 1872 in the north Scottish coastal town of Dornoch. There on crumpled dunesland, he grew up playing golf on one of the world's purest links, Royal Dornoch. From these inauspicious beginnings, Donald Ross would eventually become the world's most famous golf course architect. Ross designed more than 400 golf courses across the United States and Canada. His most famous creation is Pinehurst No. 2, which he once described as the “fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed.”

If you'd like to learn more about these two giants of Pinehurst history, please check out the links below:

There are several activities that will be taking place over the course of the year to celebrate these exceptional birthdays. We'd love to have you join us in our celebrations!

Lecture with Dede Petri, Olmsted 200 Executive Director (Sponsored by the Women of the Pines) 

The Women of the Pines will host Dede Petri, President and CEO of the National Association for Olmsted Parks on Friday, March 4th at 11:00 AM at the Pinehurst Village Assembly all located at 395 Magnolia Road. Ms. Petri will discuss Frederick Law Olmsted's legacy and the importance of public parks today. Join us for a fascinating discussion about the father/founder of American landscape architecture and how he enjoyed a reputation as a visionary social reformer. For more information and to reserve your space, please visit www.womenofthepines.org/upcoming_events. There is no charge for this event. Reservations are required and space is limited. Refreshments will be served. Masks are recommended. For more information, contact Amy Walters, Publicity Chair at womenofthepines@gmail.com.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Donald Ross will be leading this year's St. Patty's Day Parade as Grand Marshal. While Mr. Ross was not Irish--he was actually Scottish but most of us can't tell the accent apart anyway--he will help us kick of the holiday with style. The parade begins at 11am sharp! Stick around and meet our Donald Ross reenactor in the Tufts Memorial Park and enjoy additional entertainment, children’s activities, food and beverages. Colorful parade entries, music, dancing and Irish Good Cheer await you at the Village of Pinehurst St. Patrick's Day Parade. 

Pinehurst Live After 5 with guest star Donald Ross

While our Live After 5 concert series is always a blast, on April 8th and October 14th this year our concert series will feature guest star Donald Ross. Get to know a little more about one of the most influential figures in Pinehurst's history while listening to some great music. This is a great FREE event the entire family is sure to enjoy. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and dancing shoes! You can find parking for this event in the sand lot near Tufts Memorial Park and street parking downtown outside the road closures. You can also catch the free shuttle from the Cannon Park Community Center to the Holly Inn/Tufts Archives from 5:30 pm-9:30 pm. Please do not park on private property.

Olmsted Community Cleanup Day

In the spirit of Frederick Law Olmsted and to celebrate his 200th birthday, we will be holding a Community Cleanup Day and pick up litter in our public areas on Tuesday, April 26th.  More details to come, but mark your calendars for a fun day of giving back to your community. 

Other Events

If you are aware of any activities or events celebrating one of these two influential figures, please let us know so we can include them on the list. 

Convention and Visitor's Bureau Commemorative Coins

The Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has created a commemorative coin bearing the visage of Donald Ross. The souvenirs will be available for purchase as part of a year-long celebration. For more information, please visit CVB website at Official Pinehurst NC Tourism Website (homeofgolf.com) or the CVB Offices at 155 W. New York Avenue, Suite 300, Southern Pines, NC 28387.