CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (WFXR) — A treasured piece of Virginia history will be saved and preserved. The Beebe Ranch, made famous in the beloved Marguerite Henry “Misty of Chincoteague” series of books will be purchased by the Museum of Chincoteague Island.
The ranch is the setting for the Misty stories that featured members of the Beebe Family. When the family decided to sell, it was feared the property would be bought by resort developers. That is when the museum stepped in and made an offer of $625-thousand to purchase the ranch.
Over several months, donations poured in to pay for the purchase. While still a little short, the museum will be able to finance the outstanding balance.
“We’re locked in and there’s no risk of us not being able to get it,” said Museum of Chincoteague Executive Director Cindy Faith. “If we don’t have enough money we’ll be just like every other person, we’ll get a mortgage to pay off the balance, and we’ll keep doing fundraisers until we do that.”
Only about ten acres of the ranch remain. Faith says the museum will restore the property to give visitors an idea of what life was like back when the Misty story was unfolding.
“We’d like to have a place where people can come out and experience the farm life,” Faith said. “See what it was like to maybe step back in time to see what it would be like to maybe visit with grandma and grandpa Beebe.”
The museum closes on the ranch Friday morning and is actively seeking donations from people who want to help cover the purchase cost or help with the restoration effort. You can find out more about how to donate here.
Faith says the Misty story is loved by millions of people around the world, and without the help of so many who donated, the ranch may have been lost. She says the response has been heartwarming and has served as a reminder of just how beloved Virginia’s wild pony heritage is.
“We’ve cried many times in this office getting a letter from someone who just said the books from Marguerite Henry got them through very difficult times,” Faith shared. “Who could not feel passionate about something when you’re just reminded daily of how important something has been to somebody’s life? it’s incredible!”
