Who was Henry A. DeLand?

Henry Addison DeLand (1834–1908) was a New York baking-soda manufacturer who founded the city of DeLand, Florida on December 6, 1876, and founded the academy that became Stetson University.

When did Henry DeLand found DeLand, Florida?

On December 6, 1876, at a meeting of settlers within a 10–12-mile radius of John Rich's cabin in Persimmon Hollow.

Why is DeLand called the Athens of Florida?

Henry DeLand coined the nickname himself, explicitly modeling the town on Athens, Greece as a center of culture and education.

Did Henry DeLand found Stetson University?

He founded its precursor, DeLand Academy, on November 5, 1883. It was renamed John B. Stetson University in 1889 after the major benefactor who kept it solvent.

How did Henry DeLand die?

He died March 13, 1908, in Fairport, New York, penniless — he had lost nearly $250,000 honoring a personal guarantee to early settlers against freeze losses after the Great Freeze of 1894–95.

Portrait of Henry Addison DeLand, founder of DeLand Florida, circa 1880s

Henry A. DeLand — The Founding Father of DeLand, Florida

Quick answer: Henry Addison DeLand (October 25, 1834 – March 13, 1908) was a New York baking-soda magnate who founded DeLand, Florida on December 6, 1876. He donated Woodland Boulevard, funded the first school, founded DeLand Academy (now Stetson University), and coined the nickname "Athens of Florida."

From Persimmon Hollow to DeLand

In 1854, at age 20, Henry DeLand joined his older brother Daniel's DeLand Chemical Company, a pioneering baking-soda manufacturer. After 22 years in the business, he took a vacation in March 1876 to visit his sister Helen Parce Fuller in Florida [S01, S06].

He arrived in the small settlement known as Persimmon Hollow, named for the wild persimmon trees around its natural springs. Founded a few decades earlier by Ruben Marsh and expanded with Captain John Rich's 1874 cabin, the community had steamboat access via the St. Johns River [S09, S10].

DeLand was so taken by the land that he bought a large tract. On December 6, 1876, at 2:00 p.m., he called a meeting of all settlers within a 10–12-mile radius at John Rich's cabin [S01, S02, S09].

The founding gifts

At the December 6, 1876 meeting, Henry A. DeLand pledged:

$400 plus an acre of land for a schoolhouse
A matching gift to the first congregation to build a church
A one-mile strip of land running north–south through the center of the area, to be the main street — Woodland Boulevard

That evening, those in attendance voted to rename the community DeLand.

Sources: Wikipedia [S01], DeLand Historical Society [S02], City of DeLand [S04]

The "Athens of Florida" vision

DeLand wanted the town to be "a place of culture, education and beauty like Athens, Greece" — the origin of the city's nickname [S07, S12].
He built the state's first electric plant and the state's first ice plant [S07].
He brought in entertainers and sponsored special events [S12].
He founded DeLand Academy on November 5, 1883, in the lecture room of the First Baptist Church. It was renamed John B. Stetson University in 1889 after his friend John B. Stetson [S20, S21].

The 1886 Henry A. DeLand House

In 1886, DeLand built his own home in the town — a two-story frame constructed from three kinds of center-cut pine milled in Savannah and shipped by boat.

The property was sold in 1895 to Arthur George Hamlin, DeLand's first attorney (who later developed the Hamlin orange).

In 1988 the building was donated to the City of DeLand; it opened as the DeLand House Museum in 1990, operated by the West Volusia Historical Society [S23, S24, S25].

Visit the DeLand House Museum

The 1894–95 Great Freeze and DeLand's ruin

DeLand had personally guaranteed early settlers against orange-crop freeze loss to convince them to plant. When the "Big Freeze" of 1894–95 wiped out the industry, he honored the promise and lost nearly $250,000 [S01, S02].

By 1896 he had sold all his property in Florida and Fairport, New York.

He died March 13, 1908, penniless, but the town he founded — and the university his money helped save — continued without him [S01].

Read about the Great Freeze

His fingerprints today

Woodland Boulevard — still DeLand's main street
Stetson University
The Henry A. DeLand House Museum
"Athens of Florida" nickname
The downtown historic district
The Athens Theatre (named for his vision)

HistoryThe story of Historic DeLand.Go there Timeline12,000 BCE to today.Go there LandmarksEvery signature Historic DeLand landmark.Go there Famous PeopleEvery DeLand-connected figure.Go there

Frequently asked questions

Who was Henry A. DeLand?: Henry Addison DeLand (1834–1908) was a New York baking-soda manufacturer who founded the city of DeLand, Florida on December 6, 1876, and founded the academy that became Stetson University. [S01, S19]
When did Henry DeLand found DeLand, Florida?: On December 6, 1876, at a meeting of settlers within a 10–12-mile radius of John Rich's cabin in Persimmon Hollow. [S01, S02]
Why is DeLand called the Athens of Florida?: Henry DeLand coined the nickname himself, explicitly modeling the town on Athens, Greece as a center of culture and education. [S07, S12]
Did Henry DeLand found Stetson University?: He founded its precursor, DeLand Academy, on November 5, 1883. It was renamed John B. Stetson University in 1889 after the major benefactor who kept it solvent. [S20, S21]
How did Henry DeLand die?: He died March 13, 1908, in Fairport, New York, penniless — he had lost nearly $250,000 honoring a personal guarantee to early settlers against freeze losses after the Great Freeze of 1894–95. [S01, S02]