Pette Stansell was born in New Mexico Territory in 1908. She and her four brothers grew up on a large ranch where her father bred and trained polo ponies for sale all over the world. She was one of the first people to enter Carlsbad Caverns, which were discovered by a family friend. Pette earned a degree in Geology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. While she was away at school, her father was killed, the ranch was sold, and she never returned home again.
Robert Hale Clark was born in Washington, Indiana, where his grandfather was mayor and editor of the newspaper. He and his two brothers moved to St. Louis as children and he met and married Pette there in 1931.
The family moved in 1940 to Richmond, Virginia. They vacationed in Deltaville and in 1946 bought from Evelyn Tompkins property on the north side of Mill creek. The house, which they named Clarkova, was basically a summer cottage; the fireplace served as the only source of heat. The property consisted of some farm land, a stretch of woods, the house, a garage with attached room, and a pump house. They continued to use this house, in addition to the Holly Point house, until their death.
Holly Point, the Jackson family homestead, was built in 1902. It was a large five bedroom house, which was added onto several times. The Jackson family compound extended around past Harbor House, and, as each of their children married, they built homes for themselves on the property along the shore. Through their friendship with Captain Jerome Jackson, the Clarks were able to buy the Holly Point site (approximately 17 aces) in June, 1971. As more of the original property came on the market, the Clarks tried to buy back as much as possible. Their main hope was to keep the property from being developed. In 1974 they bought the field across the road and some lots to the south of the house (approx. 14 acres), bringing the total to almost 40 acres. Although the Clarks retained their Richmond home, over time, Holly Point became their primary residence.
Mr. Clark, a distinguished, quiet man, traveled extensively for business and while both Clarks were well educated, he read continuously. Having completed most of the Great Books, he read the encyclopedia through when he retired. He was an accomplished artist, won some prizes, sold some paintings, but mostly painted for his own enjoyment.
Mrs. Clark had many interests and in mid-life she went back for another degree in Fashion Design and Pattern Making a VCU. She made all her coats, suits, hats and other clothes. She traveled several months a year to Mexico, Europe, Canada, Nicaragua, the Scandinavian countries, Africa, Greece, and Spain. She was active in scouting, first as a leader, then working at scout headquarters, and finally as Camp Director at Camp Pocahontas in Bon Air, Virginia. As a member of the National Forestry Service, she attended meetings around the state to advance her knowledge. She belonged to several women's clubs in Richmond and in Urbanna. She was a very active person, spending most of her days outdoors. She still rode her tractor well into her 80's.
On November 21, 1981, at 2 a.m., while Pette was alone, Holly Point burned to the ground and all the family antiques, photos, and valuable documents and books from the 1800's were lost. Only one picture of the house survived, which does not show two later additions. Pette really never recovered from the loss, and it intensified her ties to nature and her desire to protect the environment.
Mrs. Clark hired Phil Bauer to build a replacement for Holly Point that would be farther away from the shoreline and thus less intrusive on the wildlife. In 1989 she arranged to give the entire property to Middlesex County to establish a nature preserve. Mrs. Clark was a dedicated environmentalist, ecologist, and wildlife protector, long before it became fashionable. She cared deeply for the animals, birds, and marine life on the property and left the majority of the site wild as a protected home for them. She had been friends with the local watermen and wanted to preserve the rich maritime history of Deltaville with a museum to them as well. Mrs. Clark hoped to provide a place to enjoy the sound of birds, to contemplate the wild and marine life, to experience the cycle of all things without disturbance from man. To this end, she donated Holly Point to the citizens of Middlesex County.
Due to poor health, the Clarks spent their last years in Georgia with their daughter, Joyce. Mr. Clark died in 1991 at age 89. Mrs. Clark was 92 when she died in 2000. The Clarks are survived by one daughter, two grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.