The Inn Like a Home

 

When New Englander James Walker Tufts began developing Pinehurst, NC in the late 1890s, the area quickly emerged as a winter destination for Northerners who were looking to enjoy a game of golf. As the resort at Pinehurst gained popularity after the turn of the century, it became obvious that more hotel rooms were needed. Mrs. E. C. Bliss of Edgewood, Rhode Island, saw an opportunity to become a hotel owner.

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After ten seasons of operating the nearby Lexington Hotel, a lodging facility for Pinehurst resort employees, Mrs. Bliss decided to venture out on her own. On February 5, 1913, construction began on the Pine Crest Inn with over 50 area residents witnessing the ground breaking ceremony with both great interest and concern. Their concern was caused by a nearby baseball field. Baseball was played with great fervor in the early days of Pinehurst and the locals did not want their field to be compromised. Fortunately, it was said that a foul ball never struck the side of the Pine Crest Inn and both baseball and the Inn continued to flourish side by side.

 

After eight months of construction, the news media was greeted at the completed Pine Crest Inn which opened on November 1, 1913. Local newspaper, The Pinehurst Outlook, reported as follows: "The most marked evidence of growth in Pinehurst is noted as Mrs. E.C. Bliss' new hotel, the Pine Crest Inn, which comes as a delightful addition to the list of hotels; its comfort is suggested by the charm of the exterior. Spacious colonial pillared verandas, glass entrance doors, and the decorative treatment of the building itself make it a sparkling note of color against the distant sky and pines."

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The Pine Crest Inn became very popular among seasonal guests and was an immediate success. This success caught the eye of Pinehurst Country Club's golf professional, Donald J. Ross. After several years of negotiation with Mrs. Bliss, Ross and his close friend, W. J. MacNab, purchased the Pine Crest Inn in 1921.

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Upon Ross' purchase of Pine Crest Inn, Mrs. Bliss returned to her position at the Lexington Hotel. Later she purchased and demolished the building in order to build the Manor Hotel, which remains today. Mrs. Bliss worked a total of 33 years in the hotel business, which made her one of the most prominent figures in the Pinehurst hospitality industry. She died in Pinehurst in 1936, but her contributions live on within the Inn.

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Ross and MacNab owned the Pine Crest until Ross’ death in 1948. For reasons unknown, Ross’ estate leased the hotel to the Arthur Roberts Hotel Company of Minneapolis for four years before it was purchased by Mr. Carl Moser in 1952. Moser, a New York City hotelier of Waldorf-Astoria pedigree, had been in the hotel business his entire professional life. The Pine Crest Inn flourished through the 1950s with the reputation of serving quality food as its hallmark. Mr. Moser later managed The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.

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In 1961, Robert Barrett, a young newspaperman from Erie, Pennsylvania, his wife Betty, and in-laws were on a golf vacation in Pinehurst. The Barretts had been to Pinehurst several times and fell in love with the place. Bob Barrett had worked his way up to the position of managing editor of the Erie Times and although he loved the newspaper business, he found himself daydreaming of having some type of business in Pinehurst and leaving the cold winters. He got wind of the fact that Carl Moser wanted to sell the Pine Crest Inn and the two men met for the first time in March of 1961. With the help of Mrs. Elizabeth Dailey, Betty Barrett’s mother, the Barretts purchased the Pine Crest Inn in May 1961.

 

Today's ownership of the Pine Crest Inn includes Peter Barrett as General Manager and his brother Bobby Barrett, a local CPA in Pinehurst. This once small family business has grown considerably, hosting over 7,500 guests, serving 15,000 meals, and pouring 45,000 drinks annually. The Pine Crest Inn operates 12 months a year with 50 employees on any given day.

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The hallways of the Pine Crest have been graced by the likes of Bobby Jones, Henry Cotton, Francis Ouimet, Annie Oakley, Frank Stranahan, Harvie Ward, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Roger Maltbie, Curtis Strange, Payne Stewart, and Cory Pavin, just to name a few. Baseball greats Sparky Lyle, Graig Nettles, Ralph Houk, Lew Burdette, Tommy Davis, and Warren Spahn all visited in 1992 while participating in a local golf outing.

 

The Pine Crest Inn, which Mrs. Bliss so accurately described in the first ever advertisement for the property in 1913: "The Inn Like A Home," celebrated its 100th Birthday on November 1, 2013.

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Click here to read the full article: "A Short History of the Pine Crest Inn".

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More articles:

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https://www.linksmagazine.com/been_here_pine_crest_inn/

http://www.golf.com/courses-and-travel/pine-crest-inn-place-stay-pinehurst

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