Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens facts for kids

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens

Hillwood Estate
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Established	1973
Location	4155 Linnean Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20008
Type	Decorative Arts
Public transit access	Van Ness–UDC

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is a special museum in Washington, D.C., United States. It used to be the home of a famous businesswoman and collector named Marjorie Merriweather Post. Hillwood is known for its amazing collection of decorative arts.

The museum has many beautiful items, especially from the House of Romanov in Russia. This includes two rare Fabergé eggs. You can also see lovely 18th and 19th-century French art here. Hillwood also has one of the best orchid collections in the country!

History of Hillwood Estate

When Marjorie Post was looking for a new home, she wanted a grand house. It needed to have tall ceilings and be surrounded by lots of trees. She found a large estate in Washington, D.C., and bought it. She renamed it Hillwood, a name she had used for another one of her homes.

The house, originally called Arbremont, was built in the 1920s. It had 36 rooms! After Post bought it, she hired an architect named Alexander McIlvaine. He completely changed the inside of the house. The changes were finished in 1956. This made the house perfect for showing off her huge collections.

Her collections included French, Asian, and especially Russian art. During her marriage to Joseph E. Davies, who was an ambassador to the Soviet Union, she gathered many items from old Russia. One cool piece was a chandelier from the Catherine Palace. It hung in her breakfast room! She also collected Fabergé artworks, like the Twelve Monograms Easter egg.

Marjorie Post welcomed her first guests to Hillwood in 1957. It quickly became known as one of Washington's "most extraordinary estates." To celebrate her 70th birthday, her friends created "Friendship Walk." This path goes from Hillwood's rose garden to a spot overlooking Rock Creek Park.

Post wanted Hillwood to be a museum after she passed away. In 1962, she decided to give the estate and money to the Smithsonian Institution. She wanted it to be kept as a museum, following her wishes. Marjorie Post passed away at Hillwood in 1973.

The Smithsonian later decided not to keep Hillwood as a museum. So, Hillwood and most of its collections were returned to the Post Foundation. Today, the Post Foundation runs Hillwood as the Hillwood Museum and Gardens. It proudly displays 18th- and 19th-century French art and treasures from Imperial Russia.

Amazing Art Collections

Hillwood has over 17,000 objects! These include items from Marjorie Post's original collection and some added later. Here are some of the special things you can see:

• Portrait of Catherine the Great: A large painting of Catherine the Great, showing her in fancy Russian clothes.
• Two Chests of Drawers: Designed by Jean-Henri Riesener, who was a special furniture maker for King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.
• The Duchess of Parma and Her Daughter: A beautiful painting by Jean-Marc Nattier.
• The Countess Samoilova and Her Foster Daughter: Painted by Karl Briullov in 1834.
• A Boyar Wedding Feast: A famous painting by Konstantin Makovsky from 1883.
• Two Imperial Easter Eggs: These amazing House of Fabergé eggs were gifts from Nicholas II of Russia to his mother, Maria Fedorovna.
• Bleu Celeste Wares: Special blue dishes from a French factory, including a soup bowl from 1754.
• Mrs. Post Portrait: A painting of Marjorie Post herself by Douglas Chandor, from 1952.
• Felonion: A special Russian Orthodox robe worn by a priest during the crowning of Nicholas II in 1896.

Other cool things include old tapestries from the 1730s. You can also see table services once owned by Catherine the Great. There are also Russian Orthodox Church items like icons and special cups. Don't miss the rare lace tablecloths, Wedgwood ceramics, and jewelry by famous designers like Harry Winston and Cartier.

Hillwood also has an Art Research Library. It's available by appointment and has many books and documents about Russian and European decorative art.

Beautiful Gardens and Grounds

The gardens at Hillwood are just as special as the house. In 1926, a landscape architect designed the original layout. When Marjorie Post moved in, she made sure the garden designs flowed with her home's interior. She created "garden rooms" with unique touches. Her breakfast room even had an indoor garden with orchids!

Motor Court: Your Grand Entrance

The motor court was the first place guests saw when they arrived. It's shaped like an oval to make it easy for cars to drive in and out. Azaleas, dogwoods, and camellias grow around this area. In the center, there's a statue of a young Eros. He holds a goat and pulls an arrow, which represents new life and love.

French Parterre: A Formal Garden

The French parterre is a formal garden with low, detailed plants. It has paths and walls covered in English ivy. The garden is divided into four sections by water channels and gravel paths. In the middle, there's a pool with Italian glass tiles. A statue of Diana, the goddess, watches over the garden. This garden is Marjorie Post's way of honoring 18th-century French royalty.

Rose Garden: A Place of Beauty and Rest

In 1956, Marjorie Post hired Perry Hunt Wheeler, who also designed the White House rose garden. He updated Hillwood's rose garden. Each flower bed has one type of floribunda rose, which bloom in the summer. A wooden and brick pergola covered with climbing roses and white wisteria runs through the garden. Tulips and sweet alyssum also add color.

The rose garden is also where Marjorie Post's ashes are placed. They are at the base of a pink granite monument. The monument has her family symbol and a Latin saying that means "All my hopes rest in me."

Friendship Walk: A Gift from Friends

This simple English-style garden path was a gift to Marjorie Post from her friends in 1957. It is lined with boxwood, rhododendrons, and azaleas.

Four Seasons Overlook: A Timeless View

Another gift from her friends in 1957, this area has four statues. They represent the four seasons. Trees like magnolia, dogwood, cherry, and crape myrtle surround the overlook. Each statue base has a plaque with the names of the friends who gave these garden gifts. A stone in the walkway has a quote from a postcard by Tsarina Alexandra Feoderovna. It says, "Friendship outstays the hurrying flight of years and aye abides through laughter and through tears."

Putting Green: A Place to Play

Marjorie Post often used this putting green. It has very short bentgrass and is surrounded by Japanese holly. Magnolias and viburnum also grow nearby.

Lunar Lawn: For Parties and Events

The Lunar Lawn is named for its crescent shape. It was a popular spot for parties and special events in warm weather. Events for the Boy Scouts of America and the National Symphony Orchestra were held here. You can even see the Washington Monument from the lawn! It's framed by American elms. The garden staff changes the flowers every season, just as Marjorie Post liked. You'll see tulips in spring, annuals in summer, chrysanthemums in fall, and pansies in winter.

A large statue of a lion from 18th-century England sits near the house. During warm months, blue and white lawn furniture from the 1960s is placed on the lawn. A golden swan fountain is on one wall, and satyrs stand near the terrace.

Japanese-Style Garden: A Peaceful Retreat

The entrance to the Japanese garden has stone guard dogs and a tall granite lantern. A stream flows down the hillside, forming pools with stones for crossing. You can find a small statue of Hotei, a tortoise sculpture, and small Tōrōs (stone lanterns) throughout the garden. This garden mixes native and Japanese plants like Japanese pines, Colorado blue spruce, maples, azaleas, and false cypress.

Pet Cemetery: Remembering Furry Friends

Marjorie Post loved her pet dogs and wanted to remember them. She created a pet cemetery on the Hillwood grounds. Dogtooth violets, sweetbox, and groundcover surround limestone memorials for her poodles, hounds, and spaniels. The last pet buried here was her schnauzer Scampi in 1972.

Dacha: A Russian Country House

Hidden among the gardens is a dacha, built in 1969. A dacha is a type of Russian country house. It has log walls and detailed carvings around the windows and door. This building often hosts changing art exhibitions.

Cutting Garden and Greenhouse: Fresh Flowers Year-Round

The cutting gardens provide fresh flowers for the house and grounds all year. This was important to Marjorie Post. The types of flowers grown here date back to the 1950s. The greenhouse was rebuilt in 1996 and looks just like it did when Post was alive. It's also home to Hillwood's famous collection of orchids.

Adirondack Building: For Museum Programs

The Adirondack Building was built after Marjorie Post's death. It reminds visitors of her retreat in the Adirondack Mountains, Camp Topridge. This building is used for museum programs and events.

Community Outreach

Hillwood works to connect with different community groups in Washington, D.C. They host special events like concerts and film nights. Hillwood is known for reaching out and welcoming diverse visitors. In 2007, the estate received an award for being a great ally to the community.

Hillwood Café

There is a modern cafe on the grounds that serves European-inspired food. It's open for lunch and Sunday afternoon tea. You can even borrow free picnic blankets to enjoy your meal in the gardens!

Images for kids

• 

  Greenhouse

• 

  Dacha

• 

  French Parterre

• 

  Post's Grave in the Rose Garden

• 

  A view of the Lunar Lawn and Mansion

• 

  The Duchess of Parma and Her Daughter by Jean-March Nattier