A Place Apart
Pebble Hill Plantation: A Georgia Belle
Pebble Hill Plantation has been called a Georgia Belle. This stately architectural beauty stands proudly amid the magnolias and long leaf pines of southwest Georgia, and like an alluring belle, it has magnetic appeal and breathtaking beauty. A visit to Pebble Hill in Thomasville, Georgia is sure to result in an awe-inspiring and memorable experience for all who enter the Plantation’s gates.
Thomas Jefferson Johnson, who authored the bill to create Thomas County, established the property as a cotton plantation in 1825. A prosperous agricultural site throughout the antebellum period, it survived the difficult years of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Pebble Hill’s modern history began in the late 1800s when Thomasville was enjoying popularity as a winter resort community. Wealthy northerners were drawn to the area by the mild climate, the natural beauty, the enormous quail population and the large tracts of land selling at extremely low prices. The Hannas of Cleveland, Ohio were among those who discovered the merits of this “Yankee paradise.”
Industrialist Howard Melville Hanna purchased Pebble Hill in 1896, and soon gave the property to his daughter, Kate Hanna Ireland (later Harvey). Kate expanded the Pebble Hill acreage and buildings between the years of 1901 and 1936. When the Main House burned in 1934, she directed construction of the present Main House, which was completed in early 1936.
When Kate died in 1936, her daughter, Elisabeth Ireland (later Poe), became Pebble Hill’s mistress.
Pansy was an excellent horsewoman and an accomplished polo player. She amassed great collections of sporting art, and filled the rooms at Pebble Hill with numerous treasures that mirrored her passion for the sporting life.
Pansy died in 1978, and Pebble Hill opened as a museum in 1983. Today, it is owned and operated by the Pebble Hill Foundation that Pansy established and endowed. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been featured on “America’s Castles” on the Arts and Entertainment television channel. Pebble Hill welcomes some 25,000 visitors a year.
In addition to the day tours, Pebble Hill sponsors several special events each year – including an October Fall Sampler, Christmas Candlelight Tours in December, Open-Air Concerts in the spring and fall, and a Plantation Ball in April. Information is available at www.pebblehill.com or by calling 229-226-2344.
Pebble Hill Plantation is a remarkable treasure. The grounds cover 3,000 acres, and the rooms of the Main House are overflowing with sporting art, Audubon prints and handsome antiques. The site has welcomed many notable guests over the years, including United States presidents and British royalty. Pebble Hill truly deserves to be called a Georgia belle, and is undeniably the many-faceted crown jewel of attractions in southwest Georgia.
Highlights of Some Community Events
|
April
Annual Pinewoods Bird Festival
For information (229) 226-2344
www.pinewoodsbirdfestival.com
Thomasville Annual Rose
Show and Festival
For information (229) 227-3310
www.downtownthomasville.com
July
CNS Television’s Fireworks Show
and Festivities – An Evening of Family Fun
For information (229) 227-7001
October
Fall Sampler at Pebble Hill Plantation
For information (229) 226-2344
visit www.pebblehill.com |
Thomasville Fly-In at the
Thomasville Municipal Airport
For information (229) 226-4753
www.thomasvilleflyin.com.
November
Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival at
the Thomasville Cultural Center
For information (229) 226-0588
www.pwaf.org
December
Victorian Christmas
For information (229) 227-3310
www.downtownthomasville.com
Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour
For information Pebble Hill
Plantation (229) 226-2344
visit www.pebblehill.com |
Fun Facts About Thomasville, Georgia
Joanne Woodward, Oscar-winning actress and wife of actor Paul Newman made her acting debut on the old East Side School (now the Thomasville Cultural Center).
Thomasville native Lt. Henry O. Flipper was the first black graduate of West Point in 1877. He is buried in Thomasville in The Old Cemetery next to his mother and father. A Georgia State Marker defines his gravesite.
The oldest perimeter road in the United States is Pinetree Boulevard. It was established as a “country drive” for visiting Northerners who wintered in Thomasville. It is situated 2.5 miles from the center of town.
Several famous and wealthy people are connected to Thomasville – including the Vanderbilts, the Goodyears, the Rockefellers, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Jacqueline Kennedy chose to stay on a Thomasville plantation following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November of 1963. Arriving in February 1964, she was the guest of Mrs. John Hay Whitney of Greenwood Plantation for three days. She attended mass at the local Catholic Church (now All Saints Episcopal, c. 1881). Her photo was taken as she exited the church and made the AP wire service. All Saints was moved to 443 S. Hansell Street.
There are 71 plantations in and around Thomas County. It is the largest concentration of its kind in the United States. The plantations cover some 300,000 acres, and are mostly owned by family descendants. Only one is open for touring – Pebble Hill Plantation.
Several presidents loved Thomasville for varying reasons. William McKinley was introduced to southern Republican leaders in the sunroom in the Hanna-McKinley House (c.1883) during his 1895 bid for the presidency. He returned as president in 1899. Dwight Eisenhower teed up numerous times at the Glen Arven Country Club. He and Jimmy Carter both enjoyed hunting on local plantations.
Thomasville is home to the Big Oak (c.1680), a massive and majestic tree with a limb span of 162 feet. Its age and beauty make it a living treasure of our city’s heritage. The Big Oak is located on the corner of Monroe and Crawford Street.
Thomasville is one of the first Main Street cities in the state of Georgia. In 1998, Thomasville received the Great American Main Street award.
Thomasville’s oldest mercantile is Jerger-Johnson Jewelers, established in 1857. Its current location at 130 S. Broad Street was built in 1881, and still contains the original cabinets and old safe. The cherry wood cabinets were custom-made in Cincinnati for the store’s grand opening.
The Lapham-Patterson House (c.1885) is a National Historic Landmark, and has no square rooms or right angles. It is three stories tall, has 19 rooms, 45 doors and was built for the enormous sum of $4,500. It has a rare, cantilevered, double-flue walk-through chimney in the main dining room. The house is located on Dawson Street, and is open to the public for tours.
The Piney Woods Hotel (c.1885) burned in 1906. The only thing left from its massive wooden structure was the old lead pipes. Thomasville citizens bought the pipes and thus acquired indoor plumbing.
WPAX Radio Station (c.1920) is the third oldest station in Georgia and the 20th oldest station in the nation. The original broadcasting range reached as far away as Australia (being no other signal interference at the time). Franklin D. Roosevelt used one of the station’s sound systems for a campaign speech from Warm Springs, Georgia. He wrote a thank-you letter to the station for the superb quality of the system.
The State Farmers Market (c.1930), located at Smith Avenue and Hansell Street, is the second largest fresh-produce market in the southeast.
Thomas County and its neighbors are located in the coastal plains region of Georgia. The soil in the area is some of the most fertile in the world. During the Civil War, it served as the breadbasket of the Confederacy, and is still highly agricultural today.
Thomas County is hometown to nine players in the National Football League, and the county has been dubbed the “Gridiron Breeding Ground.” In the 1990s, Thomas County Central High School won five state championships.
