homas 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 1896 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.

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 as 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.

Miss Pansy was always an avid collector, and the present house reflects her varied interests.  The collections you will see attest to her lifestyle and curiosity.  Some bedrooms have been converted to galleries to display Mrs. Poe's collections of 19th Century furniture,  porcelain, silver, crystal, and glassware.  The many trophies record the success of Pebble Hill's animals in competition.  

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.

We invite you now to take a stroll of the grounds which compliment the house in grand style with their intriguing beauty.

The Main House tour narrative is available in English, German, French, Japanese, and Spanish.