The Town of Southern Pines, North Carolina was incorporated in 1887 and grew at a phenomenal rate through the early twentieth century. Its moderate climate and recreational opportunities made it a destination of choice for vacationers from the north, many of whom built substantial homes in the town.
In 1981 the town’s architectural assets were surveyed. A subset of the historic resources were more systematically surveyed in 1991 and in 1992, the Southern Pines Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2009, the town hired Hanbury Preservation Consulting to re-survey the National Register historic district. This effort involved
- evaluating existing data both at the town and the State Historic Preservation Office (HPO),
- re-surveying the entire district, and
- preparing new survey data that reflects the changes in the district since 1991.
A key aspect of this project was creating new digital data for the town and the HPO. Previous records had been paper files and conventional photographs. New data included digital photos, GIS based mapping and the compilation of all survey data into a digital database.
The new format will allow for easier access to data and the capacity to generate customized queries and reports to analyze survey data quickly. This updated survey data may support re-evaluation of the existing district’s boundaries and period of significance and could serve as the basis for new or expanded local historic districts.