CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - After a century of becoming the center of Chincoteague’s literary and cultural history, the famous Beebe Ranch is changing hands. In a press release, the Museum of Chincoteague announced that the Beebe family is selling the ranch and called on the community to help preserve it.
The Beebe Ranch was the setting of Marguerite Henry’s 1947 book “Misty of Chincoteague” which helped popularize the wild ponies of the island and established Chincoteague as a hotspot for visitors to the Eastern Shore.
The Museum of Chincoteague announced its intentions to “save the Beebe Ranch” as part of its overall mission to preserve, collect, and protect the history of Chincoteague and Assateague. They are asking the public to help raise funds to purchase the ranch to make it an official extension of the museum. The museum says it has been given one month to do so.
The fundraising goal to purchase the property is $625,000. The museum says that the tax-deductible donations to the cause can be returned if they are unsuccessful in their bid to buy it.
For further information, the museum can be contacted directly at 757-336-6117.
