Near Brooksville in Hernando County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Chinsegut Hill
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 8, 2012
1. Chinsegut Hill Marker
Inscription.
Chinsegut Hill. . In 1842, South Carolinian Bird M. Pearson staked a claim on 160 acres and called it Mount Airy, one of the few surviving plantations in Florida and one of the oldest houses in Hernando County. Pearson built the manor house's east wing in 1847 and later residents expanded it, beginning in 1852. He raised citrus, cattle, and sugarcane. In 1905 Chicago residents Raymond (1873-1954) and Margaret Dreir (1868-1945) Robins purchased property and named it Chinsegut Hill, an Inuit word meaning "a place where lost things are found." The estate served as a retreat from the couple's tireless activism on behalf of workers, women, and the poor. Guests entertained here included Thomas Edison, Senator and Mrs. Claude Pepper, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, J.C. Penney and Helen Keller. During the Great Depression, the Robinses suffered severe losses and donated Chinsegut to the federal government, collaborating with the Department of Agriculture on an experimental station to benefit Florida farmers. In return, the couple could live there until their deaths. New Deal workers improved the property and built two cabins in 1933. In 1958, the University of South Florida acquired the property for use as a conference center.
In 1842, South Carolinian Bird M. Pearson staked a claim on 160 acres and called it Mount Airy, one of the few surviving plantations in Florida and one of the oldest houses in Hernando County. Pearson built the manor house's east wing in 1847 and later residents expanded it, beginning in 1852. He raised citrus, cattle, and sugarcane. In 1905 Chicago residents Raymond (1873-1954) and Margaret Dreir (1868-1945) Robins purchased property and named it Chinsegut Hill, an Inuit word meaning "a place where lost things are found." The estate served as a retreat from the couple's tireless activism on behalf of workers, women, and the poor. Guests entertained here included Thomas Edison, Senator and Mrs. Claude Pepper, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, J.C. Penney and Helen Keller. During the Great Depression, the Robinses suffered severe losses and donated Chinsegut to the federal government, collaborating with the Department of Agriculture on an experimental station to benefit Florida farmers. In return, the couple could live there until their deaths. New Deal workers improved the property and built two cabins in 1933. In 1958, the University of South Florida acquired the property for use as a conference center.
Erected 2004 by The University of South Florida and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number
Location. 28° 36.896′ N, 82° 21.57′ W. Marker is near Brooksville, Florida, in Hernando County. Marker is at the intersection of Chinsegut Hill Road and Snow Memorial Highway, on the right when traveling west on Chinsegut Hill Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brooksville FL 34601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 25, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 25, 2013, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 964 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on July 25, 2013, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 2. submitted on November 25, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 3, 4. submitted on July 25, 2013, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
