Pinehurst Race Track
Also known as: Pinehurst Training Track
Why it's listed
Pinehurst Race Track is a horse training and racing complex of about fifty acres on the edge of the Village of Pinehurst in Moore County. Two oval sand tracks, laid out by 1915, form its core: an inner half-mile track for trotters and pacers and an outer five-eighths-mile track for Thoroughbreds. Around them stand timber barns from the 1910s, paddocks, a farrier shop, a clubhouse, a harness shop and the Amphidrome, a stuccoed Mission-style exhibition building from about 1917. A tornado around 1937 removed two of its four corner towers and its tile roof. Leonard Tufts, who ran the resort village, developed the complex, which hosted horse racing, livestock shows and exhibitions. It is described as the oldest continuously used race track in North Carolina and became a winter training ground for young harness horses. Nineteen resources date from before 1942; fourteen later ones are non-contributing. The Village of Pinehurst purchased the site in 1992 to preserve it.
Significance in brief: The complex is described as the oldest surviving and continuously used race track facility in North Carolina and as an important winter training ground for Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses. It helped popularize equestrian sports in the state. The Amphidrome is thought to be the first grand agricultural exhibition building erected in North Carolina.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92001628, listed November 27, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Morgantown Rd. and NC 5, SE corner, Pinehurst |
|---|---|
| County | Moore County |
| Listed | November 27, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001628 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Leonard Tufts (developer of the track complex); Frank Schmelzer (built the 1930 Harness Shop) |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival; Agricultural/Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a horse training facility; the Amphidrome stables Standardbred horses in winter. The 1930 Harness Shop is vacant. The Village of Pinehurst bought the 111-acre tract in January 1992. |
| Acreage | 50 |
| Coordinates | 35.18207, -79.46604 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92001628.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987577
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.