The Pines Preservation Guild

08/24/2026

Missed our column in The Pilot yesterday? Read about how the proposed changes to Section 106 by the ACHP threaten the historic places in Moore County and what you can do about it.

When U.S. 1 was widened from two lanes to four in the early 2000s, the historic towns of Vass and Cameron could have been changed beyond recognition. Instead, they were

08/14/2026

When US-1 was set to be expanded to four lanes in 1990, these historic places stood along the route. A federal law called Section 106 required identification of each one to determine the path with the least impact.

Eleven were identified, including the Leslie-Taylor Farmstead, which is still standing today.

A rewrite of Section 106 by ACHP would make that discovery step optional. It’s hard to protect what’s not documented and because the Moore County courthouse burned down in 1889, along with the records it housed, this step matters even more here than in other places.

The public comment period for Section 106 could open at any time. Join our newsletter at https://www.pinespreservation.org/newsletter so you can speak up when it does.

08/08/2026

See our last post? Our friends at Preservation North Carolina have put together some action steps to help protect your voice and our historic structures.

08/07/2026

The bulldozers would just show up. No warning. No say.

A new change in federal regulations would gut Section 106, the law that gives you a voice before a federally funded project can impact a historic place.

Swipe through to learn more.

The ACHP public comment period could open any time. Visit https://www.pinespreservation.org/section106 and follow along here to be ready the moment it does.

06/06/2026

What a weekend.

Last Friday and Saturday, Moore County opened its doors and you showed up.

70 people joined us for the Mayberry Modernism Lecture with founder George Smart, and over 100 people explored five architecturally significant mid-century modern buildings across Moore County on the inaugural Moore Modernism House Tour. Beautiful weather, remarkable houses, and a community that clearly cares about its architectural heritage.

This is just the beginning.

Thank you to our incredible volunteers, our generous homeowners, First Bank for their support, the Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust, and every single person who bought a ticket and showed up. Moore Modernism exists because of you.

MM27 is already on our minds. Stay tuned!

05/28/2026

Have you grabbed your Moore Modernism tickets yet? Ticket prices go up on Friday!

On Saturday May 30, five mid-century modern homes across Moore County are opening their doors for the inaugural Moore Modernism House Tour. One of them is the Cecil Beith House in Southern Pines.

Designed by Thomas “Tommy” Hayes in 1960, the Beith House is everything you’d hope a mid-century modern home would be, and the houses current owner Guy Bailey has kept the original house renderings hanging on the walls where they’ve always been.

Prices go up on Friday. Get your tickets today at the link in bio.

05/26/2026

In 1974, Richard and Jane Adrian built something a little different on Horseshoe Road in Southern Pines.

A horizontal roofline. A mansard roof. A recessed entry flanked by solid double doors and floor-to-ceiling windows. Brick on the front, glass on the sides and rear. All designed to let the light pour in from every direction.

The original parquet floors and skylights are still there. And thanks to new owners Joseph Smith and Allison Auman Smith, who purchased the house in 2023, the rest of the home has been carefully brought back to life with renovations that honor its mid-century roots.

On May 30, you can walk through it. The Adrian House is one of five mid-century modern structures on the Moore Modernism House Tour. Tickets at MooreModernism.com . Don’t delay! prices go up May 29!

05/24/2026

If your favorite Wes Anderson set came to life in Moore County, it might look something like this. Every detail tells a story. The terrazzo floors. The mint green glazed block. The original coat hooks still on the wall.

The West Southern Pines Center is the only mid-century structure in Moore County on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is just one of five mid-century modern structures opening their doors for the Moore Modernism House Tour on May 30.

Moore Modernism is less than a week away. Tickets are still available but time is running out. Grab yours at MooreModernism.com .

🎥 by

05/22/2026

Next stop on our Moore Modernism tour is the ca 1972 Dr. Arno & Anne Jewett house in Whispering Pines. Designed by the Virginia architect, Anthony C. Rounds as their retirement home, Rounds practiced in Falls Church, VA and was one of the founders of the firm, Rounds Vanduzer Architects. Arno and Anne built the home when he retired as the Coordinator of the Right to Read Program of the Department of Health Education and Welfare. He was the author of seven books relating to education and had a special interest in teaching children of above average abilities.

After purchasing the home in 2013, its currently owners renovated the home over 18 months. Frank Lloyd Wright admirers, they wanted something mid-century modern suitable for an interior renovation without enlarging the footprint. They renovated sensitively, adding wood floors, modifying bathrooms, and updating the kitchen to create a place to retire and enjoy life on the waters of Spring Valley Lake.

Want to see this house and four other modernist structures in Moore County? Then join us for Moore Modernist weekend on May 29 + 30. Get tickets at MooreModernism.com

Photos by John Gessner, Laura Gingerich, and Gates Harris.

05/19/2026

Let’s get to know the houses on the upcoming Moore Modernism Tour. First up: the W.R. Isom House in Whispering Pines. Stephen A. Isom designed this house for his parents. It was completed in 1969 and underwent a renovation in 2023. It has been featured on HGTV’s Tough Love with Hilary Farr, Season 2, Episode 10 and featured in NCModernist and TheSway.

It still retains many of the original character-defining features, including slate floors, floor to ceiling windows, the signature red double entrance doors and a frosted glass panel as you enter. Many pieces of furniture have been curated from the 1930’s - 1960’s to keep with the mid century modern & modernist aesthetic.

Want to see this house and four other modernist structures in Moore County? Then join us for Moore Modernist weekend on May 29 + 30. Get tickets at MooreModernism.com .