Property
from the Collection of Pebble Hill Foundation, Thomasville, Georgia
Elizabeth Ireland Poe, known as Pansy, was the granddaughter of the Cleveland industrialist Howard Melville Hanna, brother of Marc A. Hanna, the Ohio senator who guided William McKinley to the United States Presidency in 1897. Mr. Hanna purchased Pebble Hill Plantation in 1896. Located just south of Thomasville, Georgia, Mr. Hanna and the following two generations of Hannas transformed Pebble Hill into a grand sporting plantation. In 1906, he gave the plantation to his daughter Kate Benedict Hanna Ireland. Kate built the existing house and Pansy inherited Pebble Hill upon her mother’s death in 1936 and lived there with her husband Parker until her death in 1978. During its heyday, Pebble Hill welcomed guests from around the world including Presidents, royalty, and some of the world’s premiere sporting artists.
Pansy was an avid sportswoman and collector. Her love of hunting and animals is legendary and is reflected in her numerous collections which showcase a passion for foxhunting, horse racing, polo and shooting. She was an accomplished horsewoman and became one of the country’s outstanding polo players. She was also deeply involved in the local community and the preservation of the land.
In the 1950s Mrs. Poe established the Pebble Hill Foundation, a private foundation which she endowed. At her death, Mrs. Poe’s will dictated that the Pebble Hill property would go to the Foundation and Pebble Hill would become a house museum open to the public. Her desire was to share the Pebble Hill she loved so dearly and to preserve it as a tangible glimpse into the lifestyle from a bygone era.
Pebble Hill was first opened to the public in 1983. Visitors come from around the world to see the main house and its sporting collection, stable block with its collection of vintage carriages and beautiful grounds. Pebble Hill currently maintains approximately 3,000 acres, 77 of which are open for the public to explore. More than 15,000 visitors are welcomed every year to the grounds of Pebble Hill Plantation.
The property in this sale has been approved for de-accessioning by the Foundation Board. The proceeds will be used to fund special projects at the museum.
courtesy of Northeast Auctions