The former residence of retail magnates Virginia and Harry
Robinson took root in 1911 as the first luxury estate in Beverly Hills,
with its bucolic six acres swaddling a stately Beaux Arts manse,
opulent pool pavilion and five glorious gardens famed for their
diverse flourish. Perfuming this oasis is a palm-fronded forest, lush
hillsides, decadent roses and exotic flora. With a deserved berth
on the National Register of Historic Places, this reflection of grand
18th-century European architecture commands a grassy mount
behind the Beverly Hills Hotel and is a monument to the decadence
and privilege of the era that brought it to prominence—one that
witnessed Virginia Robinson in her element, entertaining society's
upper echelon on the grounds that bear her remarkable imprint.
Sojourns across the world found Virginia Robinson (with a botanist
in tow) collecting seeds from far afield regions like Queensland,
Australia, that today account for a trove of rare plants, including a
vast number of towering King Palms. Today, painstakingly preserved
by the County of Los Angeles, the century-old estate is still thriving.
VIRGINIA ROBINSON
GARDENS
Virginia Robinson Gardens photography by Paul Jonason
O RC H I D G R E E N H O U S E I N T H E K I TC H E N G A R D E N PA L M T E R R AC E
F RO N T O F M A I N H O U S E M U S E U M
