A Pink Palace In The Georgia Mountains: The Historic Tate House Bed And Breakfast
Colonel Sam Tate built the Tate House (a.k.a. Pink Palace or Pink Marble Mansion) in Tate, GA in the early 1920's. The Pink Palace is constructed of a very rare, bright pink marble known as Etowah marble and it was quarried not far from the estate. I've just recently discovered the historic Tate House just south of Jasper on Hwy. 53. Etowah marble may only be truly appreciated in person. The home was completed in 1926 but Colonel Tate died in 1938 and the mansion began to fall into disrepair. The surviving Tate's resided in the mansion until 1955 when they left the home unoccupied. Although this fact has been disputed by a reader who wrote me regarding said fact (see comments below).
Ann Laird and her husband Joe bought the home in 1974 and promptly found a moonshine still in one of the rooms. They brought the mansion up to code and turned it into a truly unique bed & breakfast. There are 4 guest rooms in the mansion and 9 guest cottages. The Laird's recently sold the home to a management group where it is no longer being run as a bed & breakfast today but you may have a wedding ceremony or hold social events.
The estate is on the National Register of Historic Places and consists of 27 acres with fantastic views of the Appalachian Mountains. The mansion boasts marble baths, fireplaces, a pink marble Grecian Stoa and an Etowah pink marble fountain.
It was just so odd to find this historical mansion so far off the beaten path. I've heard of the Tate House before but never gave a second thought as to the location. I have not personally toured the home but how could it be anything but magnificent inside.
Update
I've journeyed back to the Pink Palace to get more (and better) photos. Interest in taking a look?
Follow this link.
See the Tate House decorated for Christmas.
Scott,
I appreciate you and thanks for taking to time to comment. Marsha has been very gracious when I've gone to the mansion.
Such a great website that tributes the Beautiful Tate House. I have toured And photographed the Tate House hundreds of times over the last 25 years and each time is better than the last. I have watched the house and its many changes for 50 years and no othe places compares to its beauty. The current owner Marsha is A God Send for Keeping this place up and running. Thank you again for this beautiful website.
RANDY,THANK YOU FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION OF THIS MAGNIFICENT HOUSE. IT IS A PART OF MY OWN PERSONAL HERITAGE. MY GRANDFATHER, BENJAMIN HARVEY KIKER, WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR HANGING THE BEAUTIFUL PINK ETOWAH MARBLE THAT ADORNS THIS SOUTHERN PALACE. MY AUNT, MARILEE KIKER HENSON, RECALLS AS A LITTLE GIRL GOING WITH HIM A COUPLE OF TIMES AND PLAYING WHILE HE WORKED ON THE TATE HOUSE PROJECT. THANKS AGAIN.
Cheryle,
It seems I'm learning more and more about the Pink Marble Mansion (a.k.a. the Tate House) from everyone that leaves a comment. It is truly an architectural masterpiece. In no way do I mean any disrespect regarding the mansion or the kind folks of Pickens County. What I've written is the information I was able to find on the internet at the time that I wrote the article since I do not live in the immediate area. I'd like to sit down with you sometime to learn what you already know about the history of the Tate house and its' occupants. I'd love to find out more about that time period or anything else interesting about the Tate Mansion.
I love how picturesque the church that you mention is, too. I happened to stop by the Tate School a couple of years ago and snapped a few photos. I located a couple of hidden plaques that I found rather interesting that were located in front of the school that I cleared the debris away from and snapped a couple photos of them. One of the plaques was from the graduating class of 1938 and the other from 1944...Tate High School...as you already knew. It's now Tate Elementary but the carved marble above the doorway reads Tate High School. It's a magnificent structure...no doubt.
Lots of history in Tate, for sure.
My mother, Elaine Grant was a nurse who took care of Miss Florie Tate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the mansion. I was raised in Tate and still am a resident of Pickens County. People around here get on edge when false things are said of the mansion like calling it the "Pink Palace". Never have I heard it called such a thing as it was always called "The Pink Marble Mansion" and later called the Tate House. I question the part to about the Tate family leaving the mansion unoccupied in 1955 as that was around the time that my mother was a nurse there. And you also referred to the mansion as being off the "beaten path". I laughed out loud!!! Right up the street is the Methodist Church and up above that is Tate Elementary School which is the only marble school in the world and is also where I spent 7 years in school before graduating and going to Jasper to high school. Seems you would do well to talk to some of the town people to find out the true history of such a remarkable home.
Jean...
It just so happens that I received a personal tour of the Tate mansion from the current owner, Marsha Mann, at Christmas time. Click on the link at the bottom of the post to view the story and photos from my Christmas visit.
I am so fascinated with this home. My husband and I were going the back roads to Myrtle Beach and found this beautiful home in the middle of nowhere. Please tell me is there anyway you can send me pictures of the inside or could we tour it on our next visit to Myrtle Beach. Jean from Sheffield, Alabama
Very cool, Jim! Now that's an interesting story you've told. Thanks for sharing. Any other tidbits you'd like to share?
It'd be cool if you took the table to the Antique Roadshow to have it appraised. Your dad personally knowing Sam Tate would certainly increase the value of it...not that you want to sell it.
What an interesting story. My dad was a classmate and friend of Sam Tate at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, TN, class of 1939. When they were students, Sam took my dad to Tate, GA, where Dad got a piece of pink marble and brought it back home to Franklin. Dad died in 1982 and I never knew what happened to the piece of pink marble he used to boast of. Just recently I went to Franklin to pick up a table his first cousin wanted me to have. When I got to her house I almost couldn't believe it. The top was pink marble, no doubt the piece Dad brought home from Tate, GA. It now sits proudly in my home in North Carolina.
hi i'm the old owners daughter wonderful place isnt it this is where i grew up