CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - Many people came together Friday morning to make Chincoteague history. After months of fundraising and community support, the Museum of Chincoteague Island officially bought the Beebe Ranch.
The ranch was sold by Billy Beebe and his sister, Barbara Gray. According to the museum, the sale was a dream come true for both the now former ranch owners and the museum, as everyone involved in the sale wanted to protect the ranch for the future.
From left: attorney John Custis, Museum of Chincoteague Island President Jay Savage, Billy Beebe, Kent Massey, museum Executive Director Cindy Faith, museum Treasurer Kelly Conklin, Dockside Properties' Bob Faith, and in front, Barbara Gray. Courtesy Museum of Chincoteague Island.
According to the museum, the ranch has been paid for in full. The Beebe family announced in February that they were moving on and looking to sell the famous Beebe Ranch, which is the setting of the popular "Misty of Chincoteague" books. The museum set a fundraising goal of $625,000 to buy the ranch and make it an official extension of the museum. It received donations from individuals, a matching challenge from a local philanthropist, and even auctioned off the naming rights of a pony.
In addition to financial donations, the museum thanked Bob Faith from real estate company Dockside Properties and attorney John Custis for donating their time and services to help the museum navigate the buying process.
"This would not have happened without your help and the thousands of people who have made donations!" the museum said. "Now the planning begins!"
