TAKE A TOUR: The Drawing Room at Pebble Hill is filled with charm of original designs and antique furniture. (Submitted Photo)

THOMASVILLE — Pebble Hill Plantation, a historic Southern estate listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is offering visitors a special summer admission deal. From June 20 through August 1, guests can enjoy a Buy One, Get One Free promotion on both Grounds Admission and Main House Tours.

Pebble Hill was originally established in 1825 by Thomas Jefferson Johnson, a North Carolina native who acquired the property through the Georgia Land Lottery. Known then as “the Johnson Place,” the estate was operated as a farm using the labor of 20 enslaved individuals. Upon his death, the land passed to his daughter, Julia Ann Johnson Mitchell, and her husband, John William Henry Mitchell, who renamed it “Pebble Hill” and commissioned noted English architect John Wind to design an elegant plantation home.

That original home stood for nearly a century before being destroyed by fire in 1934. However, a 1914 addition to the house—commissioned by Kate Hanna Ireland Harvey —was saved by a bucket brigade using water from the estate’s swimming pool. In the wake of the fire, a new Main House was designed in Neo-Classical style by Abram Garfield, a Cleveland architect and the youngest son of President James A. Garfield. The 30,000-square-foot residence was completed in 1936.

Kate Hanna Ireland Harvey, daughter of Cleveland industrialist Howard Melville Hanna, had acquired Pebble Hill in 1901. Her family used the estate as a winter retreat, drawn to Thomasville’s warm climate and abundant game. After Kate’s passing in 1936, her daughter Elisabeth “Pansy” Ireland Poe inherited Pebble Hill and continued the family tradition of wintering there until her death in 1978.

Determined to preserve her family’s legacy, Pansy established an endowment in the 1950s with the goal of eventually opening Pebble Hill to the public. Her dream was realized in 1983, when the estate officially became a museum.

Today, visitors can explore the 73-acre Main Grounds, stroll through historic gardens, tour preserved outbuildings, and experience the grandeur of the Main House that showcases beautiful antiques and precious works of English, French, and American art.

This summer, take advantage of a limited-time Buy One, Get One Free offer and discover the beauty, history, and legacy of Pebble Hill Plantation.

For more information, visit www.pebblehill.com or contact the museum office at (229) 226-2344.