Discover Deland
DeLand's educational identity was part of an early plan for the community, not simply a later benefit of having a university nearby. After visiting the area in 1876, Henry A. DeLand promoted a settlement centered on culture and learning. His support for a schoolhouse included a practical overlap between education and religious life: the building could also serve as a place of worship.
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On November 5, 1883, DeLand and John H. Griffith inaugurated DeLand Academy in a lecture room of the First Baptist Church. That small beginning developed into Stetson University. The university's own historical accounts are useful for distinguishing the institution's origin from the larger civic ambitions around it.
Campus architecture forms another part of the local record. Historical walking-tour material links DeLand Hall, Elizabeth Hall and Flagler Hall with downtown stops such as the theater, courthouse and historical society. The route treats campus and town as connected places rather than two unrelated destinations.
Exploring those buildings alongside the academy's founding story gives substance to DeLand's association with learning. It also reveals how community institutions can begin in shared rooms and modest buildings before becoming the larger civic and educational landmarks visible later.
Sources
- Stetson University: History of Stetson: https://www.stetson.edu/other/about/history.php
- Stetson University: Religious and Spiritual Life History: https://www2.stetson.edu/today/2020/07/chronicling-the-role-of-religious-and-spiritual-life-at-stetson/
- Stetson University: DeLand Historical Walking Tour: https://www2.stetson.edu/today/2016/11/new-deland-walking-tour-to-spotlight-stetson/