Did John B. Stetson found DeLand, Florida?

No. The city was founded by Henry A. DeLand on December 6, 1876. Stetson arrived in 1886 at DeLand's invitation and became the university's major benefactor.

When did John B. Stetson build his mansion?

The mansion was designed by architect George T. Pearson in 1886 and completed in less than a year.

Why is Stetson University called Stetson University?

It was renamed John B. Stetson University in 1889 to honor the hat-maker whose financial contributions sustained it. It had been founded in 1883 as DeLand Academy.

Is the Stetson Mansion open to the public?

Yes. It operates as a historic tour and event venue.

Portrait of John B. Stetson, Philadelphia hat manufacturer and philanthropist, circa 1890s

John B. Stetson — The Hat Maker Who Built a University

Quick answer: John Batterson Stetson (1830–1906) was the Philadelphia hat-making magnate whose philanthropy transformed DeLand Academy into John B. Stetson University in 1889. In 1886, at the invitation of city founder Henry A. DeLand, he built Florida's first Gilded Age mansion in DeLand as a winter home.

The invitation from Henry A. DeLand

When Henry A. DeLand heard his friend John Stetson was seeking a warmer climate for his health, he invited him to Central Florida. Stetson purchased 250+ acres for use as an orange grove and built his mansion in less than a year [S13, S14].

Florida's first luxury home

Designed 1886 by Philadelphia architect George T. Pearson.
A blend of Shingle-style Victorian with cottage, Gothic, Tudor, Moorish, and Polynesian details — high-style Victorian in shingle vernacular [S14, S15].
16 patterns of the nation's rarest parquet wood floors; 10,000 original leaded-glass windows.
Thomas Edison, a personal friend of Stetson, personally supervised the installation of electricity — one of the first homes in the world designed and built for electricity [S13, S14].

Visit the Stetson Mansion page

Notable guests

President Grover Cleveland, King Edward VII, and members of the Vanderbilt, Astor, Tiffany, Carnegie, and Mellon families were all entertained at the mansion [S14].

Saving DeLand Academy

In 1887 the institution was incorporated as DeLand University. In 1889 it was renamed John B. Stetson University in recognition of Stetson's substantial financial support [S19, S20].

Read about Stetson University

The receipts

Three sourced milestones from Stetson's DeLand years.

The 1886 Stetson Mansion in DeLand Florida, John B. Stetson's Gilded Age winter home

Florida's first Gilded Age luxury home.

The Stetson Mansion was designed in 1886 by Philadelphia architect George T. Pearson and completed in less than a year.

Source: Visit Florida [S14].

Stetson Mansion interior, wired under Thomas Edison's personal supervision

Wired by Edison.

Thomas Edison personally supervised the installation of electricity — one of the first homes in the world designed and built for electric service.

Source: Stetson Mansion [S13].

Stetson University campus, DeLand Florida, renamed in 1889 to honor John B. Stetson

Endowed a university.

His gifts saved DeLand Academy from insolvency and earned the 1889 renaming to John B. Stetson University.

Source: Stetson University [S20].

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Frequently asked questions

Did John B. Stetson found DeLand, Florida?: No. The city was founded by Henry A. DeLand on December 6, 1876. Stetson arrived in 1886 at DeLand's invitation and became the university's major benefactor. [S01, S13]
When did John B. Stetson build his mansion?: The mansion was designed by architect George T. Pearson in 1886 and completed in less than a year. [S14]
Why is Stetson University called Stetson University?: It was renamed John B. Stetson University in 1889 to honor the hat-maker whose financial contributions sustained it. It had been founded in 1883 as DeLand Academy. [S19, S20]
Is the Stetson Mansion open to the public?: Yes. It operates as a historic tour and event venue. [S13]