Location within Washington, D.C. | |
Established | 1973 |
---|---|
Location | 4155 Linnean Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20008 |
Coordinates | 38°56′37″N77°03′09″W / 38.9437°N 77.0526°W |
Type | Decorative Arts |
Director | Kate Markert |
Public transit access | Van Ness–UDC |
Website | www |
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is a decorative arts museum in Washington, D.C., United States. The former residence of businesswoman, socialite, philanthropist and collector Marjorie Merriweather Post, Hillwood is known for its large decorative arts collection that focuses heavily on the House of Romanov, including two Fabergé eggs. Other highlights are 18th- and 19th-century French art and one of the country's finest orchid collections.
After her divorce from her third husband, Joseph E. Davies, Post bought Arbremont, a Georgian Colonial estate in northwest Washington on the edge of Rock Creek Park, renaming it Hillwood, a name she had also used for her former property in Brookville, New York. [1]
Arbremont, with its 36 rooms, had been built in the 1920s by Daisy Peck Blodgett, wife of Delos A. Blodgett Jr, a Michigan lumber tycoon and daughter of Professor William Henry Peck of Atlanta, Georgia. Blodgett built Arbremont House for her daughter, Helen Blodgett Erwin. A second house known as The Rocks across Rock Creek Park was built for her second daughter and was eventually purchased by Jay Rockefeller.
After Post acquired the property from the Erwins, she hired the architect Alexander McIlvaine to gut and rebuild its interior. The renovations, which included moving the library doors to frame a view of the Washington Monument, were completed in 1956. Showcasing her collections including French, Asian, and – what Hillwood is most known for – Russian art and religious objects.
During her marriage with Davies, who served as the second ambassador to the Soviet Union in the mid-1930s, she acquired a vast collection of objects from the pre-Bolshevik Russia, including a chandelier from the Catherine Palace that hung in her breakfast nook, and Fabergé art works including the Twelve Monograms Easter egg. Post had her first guests to the house in May 1957 and hosted her first big party there on July 7, 1957. Hillwood quickly gained a reputation as one of Washington's "most extraordinary estates." [1]
As a tribute to Post after her 70th birthday, 181 of her friends built "Friendship Walk," a path from Hillwood's rose garden to a crest overlooking Rock Creek Park. [1]
Concerned with Hillwood's fate after her death, Post arranged in 1962 to bequeath the estate, along with a $10 million endowment to maintain it, to the Smithsonian Institution so that it might be maintained as a museum. She made the bequest of Hillwood (as well as most of her other properties) contingent upon its being maintained and used according to her wishes (which included the condition that the estate not be used for dining), and she established the Marjorie Merriweather Post Foundation of the District of Columbia to ensure compliance: any property improperly used would revert to the Foundation. Post was residing at Hillwood when she died on September 12, 1973. [1]
The Smithsonian declined to make the changes needed to convert Hillwood to a museum, and complained that by 1975 the endowment, producing $450,000 annual income, was insufficient to maintain the site. Accordingly, Hillwood and the majority of the collection was returned to the Post Foundation by April 1976. [1]
Hillwood is now maintained by the Post Foundation as the Hillwood Museum and Gardens, showcasing 18th- and 19th-century French art and art treasures from Imperial Russia.
Hillwood features over 17,000 objects from the original collection and selected objects collected after Post's death. Collection highlights include:
Additional highlights include tapestries from the 1730s, table services collected by Catherine the Great, Russian Orthodox Church objects such as icons and liturgical vessels, rare lace tablecloths, Wedgwood ceramics, bloodstone objects and jewelry by Harry Winston and Cartier. [2]
Hillwood offers appointment-only access to their Art Research Library, which features a notable selection of Russian and European decorative art books and documents. [2]
In 1926, landscape architect Willard Gebhart designed Arbremont, creating a landscape moulded around the 25 acres later owned by Post. When renovating Hillwood, Post incorporated many of the garden designs into her interior design. Creating the 'garden rooms' which feature touches unique to the Lunar Lawn and Rose Garden. Post's breakfast nook even includes an inside garden of orchids, bringing the outside in. [2]
The motor court was the first area of arrival for guests, who were escorted into the house from the porte-cochère by her butler. The hilly ascent and motor court walls served as a buffer that preserved the mystery of the mansion while on the approach. [3] The elliptical shape of the area allowed for an easy stream of cars in and out of the property. Azaleas, dogwoods, and camellias surround the area. The center of the court features a statue of a young Eros surrounded by English ivy and boxwoods. Eros holds a goat and pulls an arrow from his quiver, representing fertility and love. The motor court was designed by Innocenti and Webel. [2]
Following the tradition of parterre gardens, the Hillwood parterre is a formal garden with low detailed plantings that are divided with footpaths and walls of English ivy. Again designed by Innocenti and Webel, the garden was split into four areas using channels of moving water, gravel footpaths and a central pool that is lined with Italian glass tile. A terra-cotta sculpture of Diana overlooks the garden. She is accompanied by marble sphinxes, a cherub riding sea animals in the central pool, as well as outdoor furniture from Post's collection. This garden serves as a Post's tribute to 18th-century French aristocracy. [2]
In 1956, Post hired Perry Hunt Wheeler, who designed the White House rose garden, to update the rose garden to her current tastes. Each bed is planted with a single variety of floribunda rose which bloom in the summer. A wood and brick pergola travels through the rose garden with climbing roses and white wisteria, which is finished with boxwood. Tulips and sweet alyssum also decorate the garden.
The rose garden also serves as the location of Post's ashes, which are placed in the base of a pink granite monument that is topped with an antique urn made of deep purple porphyry. The monument features her coat of arms and the inscription in Latin that translates as "All my hopes rest in me." [2]
A simple English inspired garden walk was a gift to Post from her friends in 1957. It is lined with boxwood, rhododendrons, and azaleas. [2]
An additional gift from her friends in 1957, four statues representing the seasons stand in a circular overlook surrounded by trees such as magnolia, dogwood, cherry, and crape myrtle. Each statue base has a plaque with the names of friends who contributed the gift gardens. The center stone of the walkway features an inscription from a postcard by Tsarina Alexandra Feoderovna stating "Friendship outstays the hurrying flight of years and aye abides through laughter and through tears." [2]
A putting green, frequently used by Post, consists of closely cut bentgrass which is surrounded by Japanese holly. Magnolias and viburnum surround the area as well. [2]
Named after its crescent shaped design, the Lunar Lawn served as the scene of parties and special events during warm weather months at Hillwood. Events were hosted for the Boy Scouts of America and the National Symphony Orchestra. The Washington Monument is visible from the lawn, which is framed by American elms. Evergreen, false cypress, azaleas, camellias, dogwoods and magnolia are also found in the Lunar Lawn. Every season the horticulture staff rotates out flowers, a tradition set by Post. Tulips in the spring, annuals in the summer, chrysanthemums in the fall and pansies in the winter are planted.
A large statue of a lion, dating from early 18th-century England, rests toward the house. 1960s blue and white lawn furniture is placed on the lawn during warm weather months adding a modern twist to an often historical seeming outdoor environment. A gold gilt swan fountain is placed on one wall, and satyrs stand near the terrace. [2]
The entrance to the Japanese garden features stone guard dogs and a tall granite lantern. A stream cascades along the hillside and pools appear as well, with stones placed in them to provide safe crossing. A figurine of Hotei, a small sculpture of a tortoise and small Tōrōs are found throughout. Designed by landscape architect Shogo Myaida, the garden combines native and Japanese plants including Japanese pines, Colorado blue spruce, maples, azaleas, and false cypress. [2]
Post lived with numerous pet dogs throughout her lifetime and chose to memorialize them on the Hillwood grounds. Dogtooth violets, sweetbox and groundcover surround limestone memorials of poodles, hounds and spaniels. The last burial that took place in the cemetery was in 1972 for Post's schnauzer Scampi. [2]
Among the gardens and woods is a dacha built in 1969, representational of pre-Cold War Russian culture. Surrounded by rhododendrons and azaleas, the building features whole-log architecture and detail carvings around the windows and door. The building houses changing exhibitions. [2]
The cutting gardens serve as the Hillwood's main source for fresh flowers, as per Post's desire to have fresh flower arrangements throughout the house and grounds year round. The selection of flowers dates back to the 1950s, while the greenhouse was rebuilt in 1996 and looks as it did when Post was alive. The greenhouse serves as horticulture staff offices, work spaces, and home to Hillwoods famous collection of orchids. [2]
Representative of Post's retreat, Camp Topridge in the Adirondack Mountains, the Adirondack Building, which was built 10 years after Post's death, serves as a museum programming venue. [2]
External videos | |
---|---|
Hillwood Estate – Museum and Garden is a Top DC Attraction, Wanda Kaluza |
The Hillwood established an advisory committee in 2001 for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of Washington, D.C. The estate hosts events such as Gay Day, which includes concerts and film nights. Working closely with major events such as Gay Pride and numerous non-profit queer organizations in the region, the Hillwood serves as one of the few cultural institutions reaching out to the LGBT community. In 2007 the estate was awarded the Ally of the Year Award by the D.C. LGBT Chamber of Commerce. [4]
A contemporary cafe with European-inspired fare is located on the grounds, open for lunch and Sunday afternoon tea. The restaurant also provides free picnic blankets for dining on the garden grounds. [2]
Blickling Hall is a Jacobean stately home situated in 5,000 acres of parkland in a loop of the River Bure, near the village of Blickling north of Aylsham in Norfolk, England. The mansion was built on the ruins of a Tudor building for Sir Henry Hobart from 1616 and designed by Robert Lyminge. The library at Blickling Hall contains one of the most historically significant collections of manuscripts and books in England, containing an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 volumes. The core collection was formed by Sir Richard Ellys. The property passed into the care of the National Trust in 1940.
Marjorie Merriweather Post was an American businesswoman, socialite, and philanthropist. She was the daughter of C. W. Post and the owner of General Foods Corporation. For much of Marjorie Post's life, she was known as the wealthiest woman in the United States.
The White House Rose Garden is a garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., United States. The garden is approximately 125 feet long and 60 feet wide. It balances the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden on the east side of the White House Complex. It is commonly used as a stage for receptions and media events due to its proximity to the White House.
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder and philanthropist Henry Shaw. Its herbarium, with more than 6.6 million specimens, is the second largest in North America, behind that of the New York Botanical Garden. The Index Herbariorum code assigned to the herbarium is MO and it is used when citing housed specimens.
A Fabergé egg is a jewelled egg first created by the jewellery firm House of Fabergé, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. As many as 69 of the original eggs were created, of which 57 survive today. Virtually all of the original first edition eggs were manufactured under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé between 1885 and 1917. The most famous are his 52 "Imperial" eggs, 46 of which survive. These eggs were made for the Russian emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II as Easter gifts for Alexander's wife and Nicholas's mother Empress Maria Feodorovna, and Nicholas's wife Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna. Fabergé eggs are worth millions of pounds and have become symbols of opulence.
A parterre is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, plats, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the part of the garden nearest the house, perhaps after a terrace. The view of a parterre from inside the house, especially from the upper floors, was a major consideration in its design. The word "parterre" was and is used both for the whole part of the garden containing parterres and for each individual section between the "alleys".
Forest Hills is a residential neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., United States, bounded by Connecticut Avenue NW to the west, Rock Creek Park to the east, Chevy Chase to the north, and Tilden Street NW to the south. The neighborhood is frequently referred to as Van Ness because it is served by the Van Ness–UDC station on the Washington Metro's Red Line and is near the Van Ness campus of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC).
A knot garden is a garden style that was popularized in 16th century England and is now considered an element of the formal English garden. A knot garden consists of a variety of aromatic and culinary herbs, or low hedges such as box, planted in lines to create an intertwining pattern that is set within a square frame and laid on a level substrate. The spaces between these lines are often filled with stone, gravel, sand or flowering plants. Traditional plants used in knot gardens include germander, marjoram, thyme, southernwood, lemon balm, hyssop, costmary, acanthus, mallow, chamomile, rosemary, calendula, viola and santolina.
The United States National Arboretum is an arboretum in northeast Washington, D.C., operated by the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. It was established in 1927 by an act of Congress after a campaign by USDA Chief Botanist Frederick Vernon Coville.
Lasdon Park and Arboretum is a public park containing gardens and an arboretum. It is located on New York State Route 35, Somers, New York, and open to the public daily without charge.
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, which includes the Coe Hall Historic House Museum, is an arboretum and state park covering over 400 acres (160 ha) located in the village of Upper Brookville in the town of Oyster Bay, New York.
Lakewold Gardens is a 10-acre (40,000 m2) non-profit estate garden located at 12317 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, Lakewood, Washington, in an area known as the Lakes District. It is open to visitors year-round.
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a 66-acre (27 ha) botanical garden located at 8525 Garland Road in East Dallas, Texas, on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake.
The Twelve Monograms egg, also known as the Alexander III Portraits egg, is an Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1896 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicholas II to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The egg was the second Fabergé egg ever given by Nicholas II to his mother as an Easter present.
The Nemours Estate is a 200-acre (81 ha) country estate with jardin à la française formal gardens and a French neoclassical mansion in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. Built to resemble a French château, its 105 rooms on four floors occupy nearly 47,000 sq ft (4,400 m2). It shares the grounds at 1600 Rockland Road with the Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, and both are owned by the Nemours Foundation.
River Farm, permanent home to the American Horticultural Society (AHS) headquarters, is a landscape located at 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, Virginia. The estate takes its name from a larger plot of land which formed an outlying part of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate.
Perry Hunt Wheeler was an American landscape architect who is primarily known for several garden projects in Washington, D.C., including the White House Rose Garden. He was born in Cordele, Georgia to John L. and Sarah Wheeler. He began his post-secondary education at Emory College, but soon transferred to the University of Georgia where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1937. He went on to earn a graduate degree in landscape architecture in 1938 from Harvard University.
The Catherine the Great egg, also known as Grisaille Egg and Pink Cameo Egg, is an Imperial Fabergé egg, one of a series of fifty-four jewelled enameled Easter eggs made under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé for the Russian Imperial family.
Hunter Valley Gardens is in the heart of Hunter Valley wine country, located in Pokolbin, New South Wales, Australia. It opened in 2003 and is now open every day of the year except Christmas Day. The gardens span fourteen hectares of land, containing ten differently themed gardens, accommodation, a shopping village, rides, events and dining. The gardens are a popular venue in the Hunter Valley for weddings and other events. Hunter Valley Gardens is the largest display garden in the Southern Hemisphere.