Curt McMichael give us all hope that there will be those
after us who will value the family stories that came before
them. Surrounded by all the antiques and collections
Dorsey’s grandparents left behind, the story of Tranquilla
began a new chapter. Even so, the one that came before
will not be forgotten.
Of all the beautiful rooms in Tranquilla, my personal
favorite was the one filled with toys and a crib for Sus. The
old rules of no running have been replaced with the sounds
of a child’s bare feet. Tranquilla is truly a story of family
and love, Jack and Margaret Ladson’s most valuable legacy
of all.
After years of solitude, Tranquilla was brought back to life by the
McMichaels. Today, it is a house that echoes years of a family's love
for each other, and the place they called home.
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Dorsey and Curt McMicheal with their daughter Sus. A portrait of Margaret Ladsen in front of Brytan–her family's
home on the old Brice estate–hangs in Tranquilla as a tribute to the woman whose vision made Tranquilla a reality. Pictured left to right are John
E. Ladson III, Sue Ladson, Carolyn Schwab (aunt), Meg, Jack Ladson, Dorsey & Johnny, Christmas 1988. Brice Ladson (left), John Ladson III (right),
and Earnestine Green (front, center), 1999.
68 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE