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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.
- Etowah marble is also prized by sculptors, such as Eino, as shown here.
- Georgia Bed & Breakfast listing
- Another Georgia B&B listing
- yet another really good B&B listing
- 60 Polk Street in Marietta, GA
We’ve stayed here and the Mertes’ were fantastic hosts. The home is beautiful and full of antiques (Joe is an antique dealer as well as a B&B operator)
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.
I started as a home-stalker… visiting brand new homes under construction in the neighborhoods near my house. That inspired me to write about home building and home renovation projects — chronicling homes during different phases of construction from a consumer's point-of-view. Basically, the tips you'll find in my articles are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building or remodeling a quality home.
Interesting running across this thread. I was one who did a large portion of the renovations to the Tate Mansion. It was the most interesting project i have ever undertaken. During the course of the work I purchased several books locally which give a thorough, and accurate history of the area, including the Tate House, and much about the Tate family. I was in search of an article which was written during the renovation by a stone magazine, and found this. I will search my library and return with the names of these books. They were recommended by a local historian and proved to be profoundly interesting and accurate.
I read this article and just for fun I’d like to make note that Ann Laird was not married to the gentleman named Joe when the Tate mansion was acquired. She was married to my great uncle, J.R. Southerland. From what I understood, he is the one who found the Tate mansion and decided it would be a good investment. Together, they restored the mansion and built the cabins on the property for people to stay. My parents were also caretakers on the property for about a year in 1975. I hope that my “extra info” doesn’t offend anyone!
Hi,I realize that this post was from a few years ago. But I wanted to say that I personally know the old owners Mrs.Anne &Joe Laird, I pretty much grew up around the Tate house. Mrs. Anne gave me my first job helping my Dad work the floor with parties and weddings. At one point in time my whole family worked at the Tate house, my dad & mom worked the serving floor, my grandparents worked in the dish pit, my uncles did yard work and security. Joe Lairds daughter is married to my brother. The Tate house is truly an amazing place, there is so much history that you could learn by talking to the residents of pickens county.
The architects of the Tate house were Walker & Weeks of Cleveland. The house was completed in 1925. The year before Walker & Weeks had completed the nine story Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. The exterior of the Bank is faced entirely in Etowah or pink Georgia marble.
Yes, Colonel Sam was a great, great, great uncle of mine. My dad use to talk about helping out around there, it was before i was born but I assume it was in the 60s. There are still a few of the Tate’s around there but they are all extremely private. And my family always called it the Pink Marble Mansion, not Pink Palace.