This wonderful old cabin has been the proud home of the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange since 1923. We are a member of the Federation of Woman’s Exchanges, the longest running women’s volunteer organization in the country.
Come Eat and Shop at this Historic Log Cabin! Gift Shop Open 10 am – 3 pm. Lunch 11:00 am – 2 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
We are a national organization of Woman’s Exchanges whose goal is to help members of our community achieve economic stability through consignment and sale of fine-quality, hand-crafted items.
The Federation’s mission is to provide mutual support and cooperation among its network of members and to provide a way to exchange ideas and business practices.
The Early History of the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange
In 1922, a small group of women joined together based on a need and a desire. The need was the women and families of the Sandhills. Life was hard in the rural counties. Poverty was common. Health conditions poor. Paved roads were few. Telephones mostly non-existent and country women rarely left their homes. That was the need. The desire was how to help these women.
Having admired the locally made quilts, rugs, coverlets and other handcrafted items, along with the abundance of jams, jellies, preserves and canned goods at the Sandhills Fair in 1922, Katherine Tuckerman, Molly Lovering and Darthea Cowgill knew the Sandhills needed a Woman’s Exchange. The Federation of Woman’s Exchanges was an organization begun in the 1830’s that arose from the need for women to find a means to earn income. Giving women an outlet to sell their handcrafts and culinary goods was a radical idea at a time when women could not or did not work outside the home.
While Katherine had the organizational skills, Molly was knowledgeable in handcrafts and culinary techniques, and Darthea was practical, with passion and drive. Molly and Darthea became the connection to, and the delivery service for, the rural women. Driving miles along rutted, sandy country roads, they established relationships and friendships with the women, teaching them new crafts and processes for preserving, and if needed, providing them with the supplies to create goods to sell.
More women were drawn to the idea of an exchange, and on May 2, 1923, they met to discuss formally establishing the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange. They organized, divided duties, secured funds and searched for a place to operate. In the fall of 1923, the SWE began operations on the porch of what was known as the Way House on Pee Dee Road, between Southern Pines and Pinehurst. The season was an outstanding success and thus began the search for a larger space, and with the help of Gertrude Tufts, found a home in the log cabin still occupied today by the SWE.
The SWE log cabin was built in 1823 by James Ray, near his grist mill. The McKenzie family later acquired it for use as a kitchen. When James W. Tufts, developer of Pinehurst, saw it, he was so charmed by it, the McKenzies gave it to him. He moved the one-room cabin to the Pine Grove in the Village in 1896 and had it restored. The cabin had been used as a museum and caretaker’s cottage before his daughter-in-law, Gertrude, initiated the donation of the cabin to the SWE.
For 100 years, hundreds of women have volunteered their time, donated money, solicited funds and gathered supplies to aid the people of the Sandhills. Continuous since they opened their doors, the SWE has remained constant in their mission of “helping others help themselves.” Since 1922, hundreds of women and men have brought their goods, their crafts and their talents to the Exchange to sell, and in return, took home needed monies to their families. Today, the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange continues the mission set 100 years ago by a small group of women who saw a need and had the desire to do something about it. The SWE is proudly one of 15 remaining members of the Federation of Woman’s Exchanges, the oldest continuous charitable organization in the United States.
Other Dining
Ashten’s
Bakehouse and Café
Beefeater’s
The Bell Tree Tavern
Betsy’s Crepes
Bob’s Pizza
Bonefish Grill
Brixx Wood Fired Pizza
Buffalo Wild Wings
C Cups Cupcakery Southern Pines
Carolina Dining Room
Carolina Fried Chicken & House Of Pizza
Casa Santa Ana • Seven Lakes
Casa Garcia – Carthage
Casa Mexicana
Chapman’s Food & Spirits
CharBar No.7 – Southern Pines
Chef Warren’s
Chili’s Grill & Bar
China King
China Wok
The Chuck wagon Restaurant
Cold Stone Creamery
Cracker Barrel
Crest Dining Room at Pine Needles
Crossroads Coffee Company
Dairy Queen
Dave’s Place
Dickeys Barbecue Pit
Domino’s Pizza Carthage
Drum & Quill
Dugan’s Pub
Dunkin’ Donuts
Elliott’s On Linden
Filly & Colt’s
Frankie’s Southern Grinds
Full Moon Oyster Bar
Golden China
Granny’s Donuts
Hickory Tavern
High Octane
HoneyBaked Ham
House Of Fish Seafood Restaurant
Ice Cream Parlor
Ironwood
Java Bean Plantation
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Kenny’s Country Restaurant
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Kickback Jack’s
Kitchen at Nature’s Own
Lake House Bar & Grill
Little Village Restaurant
LongHorn Steakhouse
Mac’s Breakfast Anytime
Market Place Restaurant, The
Maxie’s Grill & Tap Room
Mazatlan Family Restaurant
McAlister’s Deli
Mid Pines Terrace & Dining Room
Midland Bistro
Moe’s Southwest Grill
New China
New York Deli & Catering
No. 1 China
Olive Garden
Outback Steakhouse
Panera Bread
Papa John’s Pizza
Pa’s Pizza & Hot Subs
Pete’s Family Restaurant
Pik N Pig
Pine Scone Cafe
Village Cafe
Pinehurst Pizza
Pinehurst Track Restaurant
Pizza Café
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut Southern Pines
Purple Penguin Southern Pines
Red Bowl Asian Bistro
195 American Fusion Cuisine
Roast Office, The
Rudino’s Pizza & Grinders
Ryder Cup Lounge
San Filipe Mexican Restaurant
Scott’s Table
Seven Lakes Pizza Kitchen
Sizzlin’ Steak Or Eggs
Sly Fox, The
Smithfield’s Chicken & Barbecue
Sonic Drive-In
SoPies New York Pizzeria
Soup Company, The
Southern Prime Steakhouse
Spice Café
Starbuck’s
Steve’s Pizza And Hot Subs
Susa Hibachi Grill
Susa Sushi & Hibachi
Swank
Sweet Basil
Table on the Green
Tacos Guerrero
Tavern at the Holly Inn, The
Texas Roadhouse
Thai Fusion Cuisine
Thai Orchid
The Deuce
Thyme & Place Catering
Time Out Sports Grill
Tokyo Express
Valenti’s Italian Restaurant
Village Pizza
Villager Deli Restaurant, The
Vito’s Ristorante & Pizzeria
Vito’s Ristorante & Pizzeria of Pinehurst
Waffle House
Wedgie’s
Wolcott’s
Railhouse Brewery
Pine Crest Inn
Whispering Pies
Maguro Hibachi Steakhouse
Grape Leaf Bistro
Clean Eatz
Southern Angel Donut Co.
Sweet Carolina Ice Cream
C Cups Cupcakery Pinehurst
Mason’s Restaurant
Petro’s Chili & Chips
Villaggio Ristorante
HomeGrown
First Watch
IHOP
Five Guys
Lisi Italian
Roast Sandwich Market
El Patrón Tacos & Tequila
Amor Ciego Coffee Co.
The Workshop Tavern
Starbucks
Clean Juice
Benji’s Mexican Grill
Neko Thai & Sushi
Kona Ice
Dawg Wagon
Wildfire Pizza
Berri Bowlful
Buggy Town Coffee
Nana & Papa’s
Mas-A-Wrap Filipino and Asian
Tay’s BBQ & Catering
Cagle’s Diner
Jaya’s Indian Cuisine
O’Donnell’s Pub
Stubbs & Sons BBQ
The Block
Marcos Pizza
Domino’s Pizza Seven Lakes
Rooted Café & Market
Agora Bakery + Cafe
Embers BBQ
Cookies-N-Moore
Given Tufts Bookshop
Meadowflower Farm
El Chapin 2 Guatemalan Restaurant
Simply Coffee Robbins
Fire House Subs- Aberdeen
The Pit Shop Catering
The White Rabbit Catering
Middleton Street Bake Shop
Island Jerk Cuisine Caribbean Restaurant
Lynette’s Bakery and Cafe
Pizzeria Grazia
Pinehurst Brewing Co.
Foodie Tours
Red’s Corner
Kitten Around Cat Lounge
Wishflower Lane
Vaquera Bar & Cocina
Banh-Sen Street Food & Noodle Bar
Midway Grill
Pinehurst Picnic Co.
Órale Taco Bar
Terrace Ridge Farm & Academy
Casa Santa Ana • Pinehurst
The Buggy Factory
Big Dipper Ice Cream Truck