Pebble Hill Plantation celebrates 40th anniversary with free public event
Special Photo: Pebble Hill Plantation
From staff reports
THOMASVILLE — Pebble Hill Plantation, a historic 20th-century sporting estate, will celebrate its 40th anniversary of being open to the public as a museum on Saturday. This event is free to the public.
The celebration will feature live music, food (for purchase), lawn games, wagon rides, a pet parade, a caricature artist, face painting, and arts and crafts activities for children, free abbreviated tours of the Main House (no pets), and a drawing for door prizes. Self-guided grounds tours also are available, including the newly-opened Kennel Cottage, which shares the stories of those who worked at Pebble Hill from the late 1800s to the 1970s.
This celebration is a way of thanking the community for supporting the events, programs, and preservation efforts of Pebble Hill, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, officials with the plantation said.
Gates open at 10 a.m., and the events of the day begin at 11:15 a.m. with a brief ceremony honoring those who have been a part of Pebble Hill during the past four decades. This ceremony will include a proclamation by city of Thomasville officials, presentation of colors by Thomasville High School’s Jr. ROTC, an invocation delivered by the Rev. James Thompson of Piney Grove Church, and remarks from Pebble Hill’s Executive Director, Whitney White. Light refreshments will be served at the ceremony.
The fun continues immediately following the ceremony with activities in the Stable Courtyard and surrounding areas. In the spirit of community, several organizations are taking part in the festivities. These include the Thomasville Humane Society, Hands & Hearts for Horses, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer Awareness.
Art students from Thomas County Central High School, Brookwood School, and Thomasville High School will share their artistic face painting skills with visiting children. There will be pet adoptions, opportunities to pet ponies, and wagon rides around the grounds. Door prizes will be awarded at noon and include gift packages for the Pebble Hill Polo Classic, Astronomer Randy Rhea’s “Sunspots and Solar Eclipse” live viewing program, tour passes, and more. Visitors may bring their dogs (on leash) for a pet parade in the Stable Courtyard, which will take place at 1 p.m.
Elisabeth “Pansy” Ireland Poe was the last mistress of Pebble Hill Plantation. She inherited the property from her mother, Kate Hanna Ireland Harvey, who died in 1936. Poe married later in life and had no children, so with the future of her beloved home in question, she established the Pebble Hill Foundation in the 1950s. This action allowed for Pebble Hill to open to the public as a museum upon her death.
She established the mission of educating the public on all aspects of a 20th-century sporting estate. The Main House is filled with art and antiques and will be open for abbreviated tours free of charge during the celebration. The history of Pebble Hill is inextricably tied to the history of Thomas County and Thomasville. The original founder, Thomas Jefferson Johnson, co-sponsored the legislation that led to the creation of Thomas County in 1825.
Poe, or “Miss Pansy” as she was widely known within the community, passed away in 1978. Pebble Hill opened to the public as a museum in 1983. Miss Pansy loved animals — dogs and horses in particular — and she was a great supporter of many civic organizations in the community. Historic preservation was one of her greatest passions, and she was a tireless champion for Thomasville Landmarks, Thomasville History Center, Thomasville Garden Clubs, and the Thomasville-Thomas County Humane Society. She purchased and donated the property surrounding The Big Oak, which is one of Thomasville’s greatest treasures, to the city of Thomasville.
Events will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit pebblehill.com or call (229) 226-2344 for more information.
Author
Related Articles
Powerful performances drive Theatre Albany’s ‘The Color Purple’
From the street, strands of purple ribbon wind around the white columns of the historic theater, hinting at the story waiting beyond its doors. Inside the foyer, a carefully curated slideshow flickers across a large screen, cycling through the faces of the cast. Some are seasoned performers. Others are stepping onto a stage for the very first time. Teachers stand alongside former students. Parents perform beside their children. People who worship in different churches, work different jobs and come from different corners of Southwest Georgia gather beneath the same lights to tell the same story.
The Worst Job in the Marines: Telling Parents Their Child Was Dead. It Was Also an Honor
Telling a family their child died in combat is something no one wants to do, but someone has to. Christopher Murphy described his service as a Casualty Assistance Calls Office as miserable but vital.
Mental Health Issues Plague New Moms in the Military. The Pentagon Is Supposed to Help
New moms in the military have statistically struggled with their mental health postpartum, and the federal government is supposed to help…or so we think. Here’s a look at a few of their perspectives.
