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
PA L M T E R R AC E
M U S I C A L S TA I R S
