 |
 |
Pebble Hill Plantation |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Pebble Hill Plantation was originally a cotton plantation created in the early 1800’s by Thomas Jefferson Johnson. After the Civil War, Howard Melville Hanna from Cleveland, Ohio purchased the property. He and his family enjoyed Pebble Hill as a winter home and hunting lodge. All of the buildings currently standing were built by the Hanna family after 1900. The Hanna granddaughter, Elisabeth (Pansy) Ireland Poe, willed that Pebble Hill be opened to the public after her death. The museum today is a wonderful example of a 20th Century shooting plantation. Pebble Hill Plantation is gracious and vital with the South's rich traditions, a home rich in both art and history. Wander the grounds where pines and magnolias throw long shadows across lush green lawns and gardens. A stroll through the extensive and beautiful grounds always leads to the stable complex, where their intriguing serpentine walls showcase a collection of antique carriages. The overall impression one receives from this remarkable plantation is more felt than defined. Thomas Jefferson Johnson; author of the bill creating Thomas County, and founder of Thomasville; built the first house on Pebble Hill about 1827. Julia Ann, his daughter, married a local planter named John W.H. Mitchell and inherited the plantation after her parents died. The Mitchells expanded the cotton planting operations, and in 1850, replaced the original structure with a house designed by gifted young English architect John Wind. Following the Civil War, Mitchell died and the strong-willed Julia Ann maintained the plantation. After her death, Pebble Hill was sold in l896 to Howard Melville Hanna, an industrialist of Cleveland, Ohio, who was attracted by the winter climate and quail shooting. Later Hanna gave the property to his daughter, Kate. She married Robert Livingston Ireland and turned Pebble Hill into a showplace. Kate and her second husband, Perry Williams Harvey, continued to make improvements. Abram Garfield, architect and son of President James A. Garfield, built gatehouses, a country store, and a Jersey barn. By the 1920´s Pebble Hill stood a glorious testimony to the sporting life. An accidental fire in the winter of 1934 consumed all but the east wing, although the furnishings were saved. The undamaged section was incorporated in to the present house which Garfield completed in 1936. When Kate died, her property was divided between her children, Robert Livingston Ireland Jr., and Elisabeth Ireland, or Pansy as she was always known. Miss Pansy inherited Pebble Hill. Website: www.pebblehill.com |
Like her mother, Pansy was generous and hospitable. She preserved the Plantation, and it became famous as a haven for guests and friends. House guests included many distinguished artists such dinermas sports painters Ogden Pleissner and Richard Bishop; Gina Bachauer, international concert pianist; presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter; ambassadors, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; 1930´s writer, actress and dramatist, Cornelia Otis Skinner. The tour of the Grounds is a self-guided walking tour. Guests are furnished with maps that point out the various areas of interest. A tour of the Grounds can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The Main House can only be seen by guided tour. Visitors are grouped in tours of 8-10. Several tours can be in progress at the same time. A typical tour takes approximately 1½ hours. Tours are conducted throughout the day, but not on a set schedule with the exception of the last one. The overall impression one receives from this remarkable Plantation is more felt than defined. Integrity, warmth, tradition, and beauty are here in equal measure to be savored by all. GPS Coordinates
|
| Please Visit Our Fine Sponsors During Your Visit to Pebble Hill Plantation | ||
| Pure Water Wilderness | My Florida Journey (German) | |
|
|