Enjoy a read in the sunshine at The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines. Photography courtesy of Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
In the early 20th century, when literary lions like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, and Paul Green wanted to relax and kick around big ideas, they came to Moore County, to the Southern Colonial Revival home of novelist James Boyd and his wife, Katharine. Here, writers knew something wonderful could grow in the soft sands and shade of the longleaf pines.
Modern writers still feel the inspiration that suffuses Moore County’s Sandhills surroundings. In a place where history jumps off the page to greet its visitors, we talked with two locals who are committed to sharing its story.
Kimberly Daniels Taws, who runs The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, and Mary Howard, a librarian at the Southern Pines Public Library, gave us their bookish pursuits for a literary weekend in Moore County. Read on for their expert suggestions and pack your bags (and books) for a bibliophile-fitting retreat.
The Sandhills area beckons all visitors. From world-class golf to local shopping and dining, our Southern hospitality is why people have been coming to the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area for more than 125 years. Plan your Sandhills getaway today!
The North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame displays plaques, pictures, and books that celebrate our state’s rich storytelling traditions. Photography courtesy of Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
On weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the doors of the Boyds’ 1922 dream home, part of the Weymouth Center, open for visitors to explore. Start your Moore County weekend with a tour of the Southern Pines manor house.
As you wander around the home and North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame, appropriately housed in James’s former office, you can imagine him standing at the windows gazing at the stables and kennels housing his true passions: horses and hounds. There, surrounded by the things he loved most, he dictated his books.
See Boyd’s novel Drums come to life as part of Drums of Liberty: Revolutionary War Weekend at the Weymouth Center. photograph by Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
A current exhibit celebrates Boyd’s historical novel Drums, illustrated by the master artist N.C. Wyeth. Not only did Drums make Boyd famous, but it also set the precedent for the historical fiction genre. Three illustrations from Drums are on display at the Weymouth Center, on loan as part of America 250 NC, and they give insight into how writers began to interpret history through storytelling.
Save plenty of time for an afternoon walk through the English-style gardens, designed by landscape architect Alfred Yeomans to evoke a series of whimsical spaces, like Parisian alleyways and a poet’s garden.
This year’s Drums of Liberty event occurs on Saturday, June 27, and includes performances by the Guilford Courthouse Fife and Drum Corps. photograph by Cara Mathis
“People around here are living creative lives,” Taws says. “The Sandhills landscape is so different from anywhere else in North Carolina. The people who come here are interesting and different, too. We have so many poets, writers, hobbyists, and creatives.”
If you feel similarly inspired during your visit to Weymouth, sit under the cherry blossom tree and write your own poetry or paint your own painting. “It’s not about perfection, it’s about doing — and doing imperfectly,” she says.
Afterward, visit Taws at her downtown bookshop. “A lot of people plan their trip to Moore County around one of our author events,” she says. “And if you’re traveling with a book club, we’ll host you in the store and plan a talk that works with your theme.”
Order the crispy duck served over fried rice with local vegetables at Ashten’s. Photography courtesy of Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
For dinner, Taws loves Ashten’s, where you can talk big ideas over a novel meal. The comfortable restaurant feels like an elegant English manor and serves some of the best produce in the region.
After you dine, walk down Southwest Broad Street and look for the alley between The Bell Tree Tavern and Lavender Home Market. There, in a reimagined historic theater building, you’ll find Cork, a bar with the most delicious cocktails, mocktails, and an impressive spirits selection that can fuel your conversations for hours.
With a vaulted wooden ceiling, clerestory windows, and cozy reading spaces, a visit to the Southern Pines Public Library is the perfect way to start your Saturday, especially if you’re traveling with children and want to stock up on reading material for the weekend.
“Not only is it gorgeous, but it has a warm, welcoming feeling that’s so bright and cheery,” says Mary Howard, a librarian who’s lived in Moore County a little over a decade and is astounded by the number of authors she’s had the opportunity to meet.
Once a month, children five and under gather just after 10 a.m. for Saturday Storytime. “Our children’s librarian brings stories to life. There’s always something extra, like dancing or singing. It’s lively, joyful, and incredibly popular,” Howard says.
The Tufts Archives houses artifacts and mementos from Pinehurst’s past in a cozy, quiet setting in the back wing of the Given Memorial Library. Photography courtesy of Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
About a 10-minute drive from Southern Pines, Moore County’s Village of Pinehurst is home to the Given Memorial Library & Tufts Archives, one of Howard’s favorite destinations. “I could be there forever,” she says.
Not only does The Tufts Archives hold the Village of Pinehurst’s story, it’s also in the center of Pinehurst’s walkable downtown. When you walk through Given Memorial Library to the back wing where the archival treasures are kept, you’ll feel as if you’ve slipped down the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole into a wonderland of local history.
Poke around the archives and imagine what it must have been like for James Walker Tufts, the Boston inventor who made his fortune from soda fountains, to discover the Sandhills’ “pine ozone” and set about building his resort here. Behold the original 19th-century marble and silver soda fountain; peruse original notes and maps from Donald J. Ross, the architect behind some of Pinehurst Resort’s earliest golf courses; and examine photos of Pinehurst’s movers and shakers over the years.
Browse the gently used titles inside Given Tufts Bookshop and select one to take over to the Village Green. photograph by Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
Your next destination is just a short walk toward the heart of the Village. Decommissioned in 2011, The Village of Pinehurst’s old post office building now holds one of North Carolina’s most magical used-bookstore experiences: Given Tufts Bookshop. Natural light streaming in through the historic building’s grand windows illuminates row after row of shelves filled with popular fiction, vintage coffee table books, children’s books, and rare, quirky finds.
All the books are donated, and the profits go back to the Given Memorial Library & Tufts Archives. “I like to go in and see what kind of gems I can find,” Howard says. “I usually don’t even know what I’m looking for, but I’m always so tickled to find that it’s there. It’s a true snapshot into local interest.”
Shop for artisan-made pieces at the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange and stay for lunch at the on-site Cabin Café. Photography courtesy of Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen
For lunch, Taws and Howard often frequent the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange, a two-minute walk from Given Memorial Library. The tiny log cabin is one of 15 remaining Woman’s Exchanges in the country, founded more than a century ago as part of a national movement to help women earn income. “How cool is it to have this here,” Howard says. “This is a place that is storytelling through crafts and tradition, and they have a yummy menu.”
After a lazy day of perusing books and memorabilia, your next stop requires punctuality. On Saturdays at 6 p.m., you’ll want to be seated on the veranda of the Carolina Vista Lounge, Arnold Palmer or old fashioned in hand. That’s when the kilt-wearing bagpiper marches up Carolina Vista Drive and serenades his audience on the hotel lawn.
Plan for dinner at the 1895 Grille, right across the street from Given Memorial Library in The Holly Inn. While you’re here, poke your head in the Evergreen Music Room, where Thoreau quotes are inscribed into walnut-covered walls.
For an after-dinner drink, take a short walk over to North & South Bar in the Manor Hotel, originally owned by legendary hotelier Emma Bliss. With moody navy-blue decor and old-world tartan plaid punctuating the dark wood features and carved ceilings, you’ll find an understated but classic cap to your day.
For the best brunch in town, make a reservation at the Carolina Dining Room. Even if you aren’t staying at the resort, you can treat yourself to the buffet breakfast, lined with every imaginable fare, sweet or savory, and get the same feeling of grandeur many celebrity visitors have felt, from Teddy Roosevelt to Oprah Winfrey, as well as writers like Lee Pace and James Dodson.
Before you depart, wander the hotel’s halls, following the footsteps of famous visitors. Annie Oakley gave shooting lessons here for nearly a decade. Amelia Earhart and John Philip Sousa rested their heads here. Take a tour and fill your imagination with enough fodder to write your own stories.
Ready to take a page from the literary greats and start planning your own trip to Moore County? Click here to learn more about this writers’ paradise.
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