Hampton Terrace Rooms: Rosalyn Elkan Suite
Monday, January 26th, 2009
After more than 60 years operating as an inn, Hampton Terrace’s guest rooms finally have names. It is not that they needed names…King Suite 2 was pretty descriptive…but we decided that this was an opportunity to help tell the history of the property in a colorful way. Our Main House Rooms have been named after pre-inn owners of the property. Our Wynnstay Cottage Rooms are named after the famous race horses owned by the Bonner family, who lived here from 1917-1937 and gave us the name Hampton Terrace. We have decided to name our king suites after strong women from our family.
The 1929 Steinway in our living room has great significance. It was a wedding present from Stan’s great-grandfather, Eli Elkan to his new daughter-in-law in 1929. Rosalyn, an opera major at Indiana State, moved to Macon, GA and over three quarters of a century was the unquestioned Grand Dame of classical music in Macon. Founder of the Macon Concert Association and a co-founder of the Macon Symphony, she also was on the National Council of the Metropolitan Opera and knew all of the major classical music names of the day. Many would stay at, or be entertained in her home while traveling through the South and that list included Robert Merrill, Claudio Arrau, Marilyn Horne, Roberta Peters, Jerome Hines, Artur Rubenstein, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Richard Tucker, Emanuel Ax, and Arthur Fiedler. She and her husband, Stanley traveled extensively throughout the world from the 1930s through the 1970s, with many of those trips lasting months. Rosalyn lived until her mid-90s.
Treat yourself and someone special to the best! Our King Suites are provide a romantic escape any time of the year. Private, spacious and beautifully appointed, they feature a fireplace and the largest 2-person corner Jacuzzi we could find. The King bed is so plush and soft, you may never want to leave.
Relax in your living room area (not a separate room) with an overstuffed couch (can be converted into a bed), romantic gas fireplace, wet bar and refrigerator.
The suite also features a television with built-in DVD and a beautiful, gold hand-ragged luxurious private bath. Your personal entrance and sitting porch overlook our outdoor, heated pool.
After more than 60 years operating as an inn, Hampton Terrace’s guest rooms finally have names. It is not that they needed names…King Suite 1 was pretty descriptive…but we decided that this was an opportunity to help tell the history of the property in a colorful way. Our Main House Rooms have been named after pre-inn owners of the property. Our Wynnstay Cottage Rooms are named after the famous race horses owned by the Bonner family, who lived here from 1917-1937 and gave us the name Hampton Terrace. We have decided to name our king suites after strong women from our family.
Pearl Davis (Hill), Susan’s paternal great grandmother, whose portrait hangs in our living room, was born in 1881 in rural upper Mississippi. She was known as one of the most beautiful women in the state, but when she chose to marry Ed Hill, her parents said they would rather see her in a casket than marry that 
scoundrel. When Ed came to take Pearl away in a wagon, her father followed them with a shotgun to make sure that they indeed had a legal ceremony. Pearl and Ed had five children but she died in 1919 at age 38, five months after having Pearlie Lucille. During their marriage Ed was well-known for the quality of his moonshine and he was considered one of the two most notorious bootleggers in Texas, ultimately being turned in by his rival. It took six Texas Rangers to haul him in. We have a touching letter he wrote in 1920 from prison to his infant daughter, apologizing for having to leave her. In the letter, he describes Pearl as a "perfect lady." Our granddaughter has been named Emily Pearl Vining.
