Chinsegut Hill facts for kids
Chinsegut Hill is a special place in Florida. It's one of the highest spots in the Florida peninsula, reaching about 269 feet (82 meters) high! You can find it in Hernando County, just north of Brooksville.
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History of Chinsegut Hill
Chinsegut Hill has a long and interesting past, with several families shaping its story.
Early Settlers and Plantations
The land we now call Chinsegut Hill was first settled in 1842 by a man named Bird M. Pearson from South Carolina. He named his new home "Mount Airy" because of the cool breezes always blowing on the hill. Pearson later sold the property to his friend, Francis Ederington, in the early 1850s.
Ederington built the beautiful Chinsegut Hill Manor House that you can still see today. He bought more land and turned the property into a large farm, or plantation. They grew many crops like corn, tobacco, cotton, sugar cane, and citrus fruits.
Snow Hill and the Tornado
Ederington's daughter continued to live on the hill after she married Dr. James Russell Snow. The property was then renamed "Snow Hill."
In 1898, a strong tornado hit the area. It actually moved the main house a little bit off its foundation! After this, Dr. Snow and his family moved to another house on the property, and the Manor House was left empty for a while.
The Robins Family and a New Name
Later, a woman named Elizabeth Robins bought the empty Manor House for $5,000. She wanted it to be a home for herself and her brother, Raymond Robins.
Raymond gave the property its current name: Chinsegut. This is an Inuit word that means "The spirit of things lost and regained." Raymond himself explained it as "the place where things of value that were lost are found." Elizabeth hoped the house would be a place for rest and important work.
Soon after buying the property, Raymond met and married Margaret Dreier Robins. Together, they made many improvements and additions to the estate over the years.
Famous Visitors and Important Work
The Robins family made Chinsegut Hill a very important place for politics and social change. They welcomed many famous guests to their home, including:
- Helen Keller, a famous author and activist
- Jane Addams, a pioneer in social work
- William Jennings Bryan, a well-known politician
- Thomas Edison, the famous inventor
- James Cash Penney, who founded J.C. Penney stores
- Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author
- Senator Claude Pepper, a long-serving politician
- Important visitors from the Soviet Union
- British Labor Minister Margaret Bondfield
- Botanist Dr. John Kunkel Small
- U.S. Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes
You can see old photographs of Chinsegut Hill and its visitors from the 1920s and 1930s. Some are at the University of Florida's George Smathers Library, and others are at the museum inside the Chinsegut Hill Manor House itself.
Donating the Estate
Raymond Robins used his connections with President Herbert Hoover to make a special deal. He decided to donate the Chinsegut Hill estate to the U.S. government. The agreement allowed Raymond and Margaret to live there for the rest of their lives without paying property taxes. By 1932, the Robinses had officially given the house and land to the federal government. It was meant to be used for research and good causes.
Today, the original Chinsegut Hill and its historic Manor House are cared for by a group called the Friends of Chinsegut Hill, Inc. This non-profit organization works hard to protect the property and its rich history.
Images for kids
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Historical marker
