In 1842 a man from South Carolina named Bird M. Pearson staked claim on 5,000 acres of land calling it Tiger Tail Hill. This manor that was built on it would become one of the few surviving plantations in the state of Florida and oldest houses in Hernando County. In 1847 he had built what is today the east wing and then the residents expanded it starting off in 1852 when it was sold to Colonel Francis H.  Ederington. The land was so vast that cattle, citrus, and sugar cane were part of its operations. If you are familiar wit history Pearson had a younger daughter named Lydia Florida that became the wife of Governor Fleming in FL.

I noticed that there is more history talked about in the 1900s to the plantation then the 1800s perhaps because alot of bad things happened here back then. Afterall just miles away was the hanging grounds for slaves perhaps some of the slaves that worked here are buried at the town cemetery. 

In the later 1800s the Tiger Tail Hill nature center was home to the Bishop family which had a chimney and two cisterns. They say the foundation exist today Beast and I did not find it but then gain its a big woodsy hill. The Bishop family resided on the hill up until the early 1900s where the extracted turpentine. Meanwhile Mallory and Ernest Snow resided in the manor they were Ederingtons grandchild who eventually would come to sell this property. 

Then came around 1904 where 2082 acres which included the nature center and hill were purchased by Colonel Raymond Robins who was a gold miner and adviser to five presidents. His wife was a tireless worker for the women's suffrage. When he acquired the land he named it Chinsegut Hill which is controversial considering that name was the name of a ships carpenter and framed with hand hewn 12 inch cypress.  But in reality the name Chinsegut means a place where lost things are found or spirit of lost things.  It is n Alaskan Innuit word!

The Robins lived in the manor and it served as a retreat for couples tireless activism for workers, women, poor etc. Some of the guest that were entertained here were Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, J.C. Penny, Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, Senator Pepper and many others. Every sunday religious services were held on the hill.

In 1924 the Robins made this a winter home. Mrs Robins would plant flowers and over 300 rose bushed around the house. She would plant Camellias and Azaleas along the Revelation Trail which would be a project that would encircle the crown of the hill. These plans would be sold at the fair to benefit the Young Women's Christian Asc. 

The orange juice she would serve to her guest came right off the trees that grove today is very small but we walked through it.  They had receptions at one event over 400 guest attended. Some of those listed above but if you want more how about Daniel Poling, Sherwood Eddie, Margaret Bondfield, Harold L. Ickes, Roger Babson, William Jennings Bryan. Mrs Robins paid the salary of a visiting nurse for server years. She founder the Hernando County Young Woman's Christian Association, with its bookshop and lending library. She was president of the National Women's Trade Union League as well as the International Congress for Working Women. She worked with child labor laws as well definitely a woman of historical significance. 

The Colonel lived on a farm known as Bodine Grove near Chinsegut Hill. Of course back in the day they called it Snow Hill and his dream was to own it one day. He worked in coal mines, lead mines even went to the Klondike in search of cold. He was a social worker and even a minister. He found his own church and hospital. He spent many years in the Klondike and made his dream come true on his return.

He studied law in Washington DC...spoke at universities...and colleges alike. He was an economic advisor to five presidents. He was given the name colonel for his hard work in the American red cross in Russia during WWI. When the Russian Revolution broke out he was the sole allied representative in Russia. He came to know Lenin and Trotsky in Russia as they debated about democracy and communism. Back then Mrs. Robins planted an acorn into the ground to honor Lenin of Russia. It still stands today! Some of the largest oaks are found in the county on this hill we went up into one.

In 1932 the Robins deeded the estate to the US Dept. Of Agriculture under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act. He wanted his trees and the nature to be preserved for years to come. So the area became a wildlife Refuge and experiment station. So at least 400 acres of Virgin long leaf pine would stay preserved. The great depression had hurt the Robins family so in return for deeding there estate the government allowed them to live on the hilltop for the remaining years of their lives. In 1993 two cabins were built behind the manor.

Sadly in 1935 Mr. Robins fell breaking his back while pruning a tree. He became an invalid for 19 years using a wheel chair. He was a great guy. Even in a wheel chair Mr. Robins still went out to get his honorary degree of Docket Of Law. During the ceremony which was done right under the Alter Oak not at the University Of Florida it was done with the president of the University and six members of the faculty in a wonderful ceremony where he gave a speech. It would come to be the final resting place as well as if you remember every Sunday a religious service was held under the alter oak. I did visit this oak and there is a stone bench under it still till this day.

Sadly in 1945 Mrs. Robins passed away and Mr. Robins lived without his wife till 1954. The house was used by the University Of Florida till 1958 as a library. It had over 8,000 books on mainly labor and religious. Those books eventually were given to the Library at the University and transferred to Gainesville. 

In 1956 The Game and Fish Commission did a white tailed deer study on this land as many rare specimens could be found on the hill. In 1967 the USDA allowed the Commission to operate 400 acres as a nature preserve on the hill. That was split into two parcels one being the nature center tract other the Big Pine Tract. Eventually in 1973 it was deeded to the University Of Florida in a quitclaim deed for educational use. Eventually it went back to the Wildlife Commission in 1989 and transferred to the the University Of South Florida to be used as a conference center and retreat for students hence the many cabins behind the manor.

Their is a cemetery that has burials from the 1800s plantation mainly young children and just a few graves. Of course not to mention the Robins took permanent rest on the grounds that made them happy.  I could not find their graves perhaps unmarked but I did find some of the Snow's and Ederingtons. 

Aside from that I also had wind of a few abandoned houses hidden on the hill I did not find them maybe they were demolished recently. But they are old wooden homes with metal roofs. So it seems the entire hill has some level of history still standing today the manor being the largest. 

 The manor is pretty intimidating easily has over 20 rooms you will see its size in the photos of this frame vernacular structure. Today the area is known as Mount Airy, Snow, Chinsegut Hill, Tiger Tail Hill, and Robins Hill. You can see the town of Brooksville Below and its the tallest point in all of Hernando County!

© By

Lord Rick

More Photos Coming Soon!