Pineville, established in 1793-94, was one of the first planters' retreats in the South. James Sinkler built the first summer house there in 1793. Named for its “religiously preserved” pines and known for its “sweet and balmy air,” Pineville became a village in 1794 after John Cordes, Peter Gaillard, John Palmer, and Peter, Philip, and Samuel Porcher also built houses there. By 1830, Pineville had more than 60 houses, a chapel, an academy, a library, and a race track. In 1858, Federick Porcher wrote that “the prestige of its ancient fame remains.” Union troops burned most of the village in 1865, except the chapel, library, post office, and Gourdin House, which dated to about 1820. The Pineview Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.