the 1914 “ War Cottages ” that Kate Harvey had constructed for Pebble Hill workers during World War I . Mack ’ s House is a three-bedroom structure with a kitchen , bathroom , and living room . There is also a front porch and charming screened-in back porch overlooking the woods and drive leading to the Uno Hill Barn .
Documents in the archives at Pebble Hill indicate that Mr . McQueen was the kennel manager on the property from 1906 . The Kennel Cottage was built near the kennels that housed the many dogs under his care . These included fox hounds , pointers , retrievers and other breeds . At any given time , there were 75 to 100 dogs at Pebble Hill and all received care from Mr . McQueen . There were also many dogs kept as pets , and those included Pit Bulls , German Shepherds and Corgis . There was even a Dog Hospital on the Grounds for providing immediate care for Pebble Hill ’ s canine residents .
In the book “ African-American Life on the Southern Hunting Plantation ,” authors Tim Brown and James “ Jack ” Hadley quote Tommie E . Gabriel , who was born on Pebble Hill , as singing the praises of Mr . McQueen ’ s adeptness at training the dogs at Pebble Hill to hunt fox , deer , and other game . “… dog men in those days were kind of prominent fellows .” says Gabriel in the book . There were competitions among all of the
area ’ s plantations , and having the best dogs was rewarded with great bragging rights .
Mr . McQueen was not only a gifted dog handler and trainer , but he also had a wonderful way with horses . There are many photographs of Mr . McQueen with the horses at Pebble Hill including the ponies that Pansy and her brother Livingston rode as children , the saddle horses ridden for recreation , and the horses used for hunting . He was by all accounts a gentle man who loved animals .
The Kennel Cottage will serve as a representation of what a typical employee residence at Pebble Hill was like from the early 1900s to 1978 . At the time the cottages were built , each was furnished with basic necessities for running a household , including bed linens , cookware , dishes , window treatments , rugs , and furniture . The Kennel Cottage will contain historic furnishings typical of staff housing of the time and will serve as an exhibit space for photographs and artifacts from Pebble Hill ’ s heyday as an active sporting estate .
“ The Kennel Cottage is going to be a great asset to our offerings of outbuildings available for the public to tour ,” said Museum Curator Lori Curtis . “ The exhibits will be expanded as the year progresses , so that we can provide a broad historical view of life at Pebble Hill that is not represented in the Main House .”
18 February | March 2023 Thomasville Scene