The History of Hope Valley
Hope Valley comprises about 930 households in a roughly triangular area extending from Rugby Road on the south to West Reynolds Avenue on the north and from St. Marks Road on the west to Hope Valley Road on the east. It was laid out, by the Mebane & Sharpe Co. of Greensboro, along winding lanes and among rolling hills with a centerpiece golf course designed by Donald Ross, architect of the hallowed Pinehurst No. 2.
Hope Valley's original developers were Jesse Mebane of Greensboro, North Carolina and Walter Sharpe of Burlington, North Carolina (Mebane and Sharpe, Inc.). Early investors included many local residents and Greensboro's Richardson Family (Richardson - Vicks Pharmaceuticals) who later took control of the development and renaming the corporation Hope Valley, Inc.
In a rare collaboration, Donald Ross, Aymar Embury II, and Robert Cridland came together to create Hope Valley. Ross designed the 18 hole golf course, Embury designed the French Eclectic style Country Club Clubhouse, and Cridland designed the roadways and landscape.
The Hope Valley neighborhood is often referred to as "Old Hope Valley", with few newly constructed homes and the vast majority of houses situated on larger lots than those in newer, adjacent developments (including Hope Valley North, Marydell, Woodcroft and Hope Valley Farms). Many areas in Hope Valley are heavily wooded and are home to deer, foxes, red shouldered hawks and barn owls. Hope Valley is convenient to Chapel Hill, Research Triangle Park, Raleigh Durham Airport, Cary and Raleigh via I-40 (3 miles South).
The Hope Valley Country Club (HVCC) golf course has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation and restoration to the original Donald Ross design, with a major focus on its greens. The Hope Valley Country Club created by a collaboration of the development's original backers and Durham business leaders has been the careful steward of this Donald Ross "Gem" for over 80 years. The course is known for having a member of the Crichton family on staff from the club's opening to today. In the Spring of 2013 HVCC completed a renovation of its swimming pools and surrounding wet areas. The club also has an active year-round tennis program with seven clay courts and two hard courts.
Hope Valley Covenants
A Statement from
The Hope Valley Neighborhood Association Board of Directors
Regarding Hope Valley Deed Covenants
The Board acknowledges that all Hope Valley deeds contain covenants that govern property use. The Board further acknowledges, based on research by local attorneys, that the covenants are valid, enforceable, and a matter of law.
The Board takes no opinion on the rules contained within the covenants, but does acknowledge that the covenants place restrictions on a number of property uses for Hope Valley Homeowners. The Board further encourages homeowners, developers and real estate professionals, including sales agents and surveyors, as well as other interested parties, to research these covenants prior to making representations to buyers, sellers, clients, or the City of Durham.
While the covenants in the various sections of Hope Valley are similar, they do have differences and tend to reflect the norms of the times in which they were written. All covenants not superseded by Federal or State law including the Fair Housing Act, or City Ordinance are valid and enforceable.
Below is a guide to assist you or your researcher in beginning to examine these documents that govern development in our neighborhood. These may or may not be the exact covenants on your property. Those rules should appear, in full, in your deed, however they may be found here as well:
Hope Valley Country Club Section (1926 – late 1940’s)
Record of Deed Book 94, Page 257
Watts Norton Section (late 1940’s – 1960’s)
Record of Deed Book 151, Page 558 (Amended in 1950)
Claude Currie, et al Section (1950’s – 1980’s)
Record of Deed Book 186, Page 317
Van Trine Park (1960’s – 1990’s)
Record of Deed Book 269, Page 50
Hope Valley West (1968 – 1980’s)
Plat Book 60, page 24
New Hope Valley (1980’s – 2000’s)
Record of Deed Book 1692, page 109
The HVNA Board encourages you to know your rights and limitations, consult a legal professional, read your deed.