Auburn’s historic Scott-Yarbrough House, also known as Pebble Hill, is undergoing renovations to better serve the community. It is considered the headquarters for Auburn University’s Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities (CAH), as well as the Auburn Heritage Association (AHA).
Renovations began in March and are expected to last until November 2015, when Pebble Hill will see a grand re-opening.
Pebble Hill, located at 101 Debardeleben St., was built in 1847 by Col. Nathaniel Scott on 100 acres of land he and wife Mary Scott purchased. The Scotts are credited with helping to build the town of Auburn, which was founded by Col. Scott’s half-brother, according to CAH’s website. After the Scotts, Pebble Hill was purchased by Mary Virginia Riley in 1876 for farming.
Pebble Hill then came under the ownership of Cecil S. Yarbrough, former mayor and employee of Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and his wife in 1912, and remained in the Yarbrough family until it was sold to AHA in 1974.
AHA had Pebble Hill placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and it was restored and donated to Auburn University in 1981. Although it serves mainly as the headquarters for CAH, AHA still meets there monthly and they consider it their headquarters as well.
Renovations to Pebble Hill will include Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms in the back, as well as easier access for visitors who are unable to use the steps, according to Mark Wilson, director of CAH. He said the original floor plan and room layout will not change.
“The interior of the house itself will not change, and it will maintain its 19th-century charm and many original features,” Wilson said. “Some of the most important renovation work done to the house, as with many renovation projects on historic buildings, relates to the foundation, which will protect the floors and the overall structure of the house.”
Maiben Beard, outreach associate for CAH, said the foundation work will mainly include replacing some rotten boards and refinishing the floors. Beard also said two of the rooms in Pebble Hill will be period-furnished and decorated, which “will allow visitors to learn about the history of Auburn.”
There will also be a new companion building built next to the main house that will have an assembly room that will seat approximately 100 people.
Mary Norman, president of AHA, said she is glad Pebble Hill is not facing any major changes and will retain much of its antebellum beauty.
“Adding the offices next door with the venue area will now allow Pebble Hill to be used for what it was originally intended when we purchased it — that is, to have a place where the community can meet and enjoy a beautiful antebellum home here in Auburn,” Norman said.
Wilson said the new building and parking lot on the site will also allow CAH to host book talks, lectures, musical events and more.
“Pebble Hill is a wonderful landmark for Auburn, and everyone is excited to see the house taken care of so well,” Wilson said. “Our mission is to bring people together for programs that explore the past, present and future, and the new building will allow us to accommodate more guests than before.”
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