Hillwood Mansion- Washington, DC
Although lovely, the substantial Neo-Georgian Arbemont Mansion was not one of the most architecturally interesting buildings constructed in the 1920s. Although stately and respectable, it did not become truly remarkable until renovated by cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. Designed to showcase her professionally curated art collection, the mansion contains some of the finest objects money can buy.
Built in the 1920s by architect John Diebert for Helen Blodgett Erwin, the 36 room mansion known as Arbemont sat on 25 acres at the edge of Rock Creek Park. In 1926, well known landscape architect Willard Gebhart laid out an elaborate garden to compliment the house, with a strong central axis and broad viewing terraces. In 1955, following a divorce, the wildly wealthy Post purchased the property, renamed it Hillwood, and immediately retained architect Alexander McIlvaine to essentially rebuild the interior of the house.
The two year project reconfigured many of the mansion’s rooms, customizing them to display Post’s extensive French and Russian art collection. As one might expect, no expense was spared during the extensive remodel, with prominent architectural features salvaged from grand European houses. In the entry hall, a spectacular rock quartz crystal Louis XVI chandelier illuminates portraits of the Romanovs. In the Dining Room, 18th century oak paneling recovered from a Parisian home serves as a backdrop for four large Dutch hunting scenes.
The elaborate interior design continues in the French Drawing Room, where painted and gilt wood paneling dating to the reign of Louis XVI sets the stage for period decor, including furniture, tapestries and porcelain. Meant to evoke the splendor of eighteenth century French aristocratic life, it was here that guests were greeted, and cocktails were served before dinner. Beautifully executed, you could easily imagine being entertained at the Palace of Versailles.
Interestingly, in contrast to the formal period spaces, the mansion does have several rooms that reflect the design aesthetics of the era that it was remodeled, including a metallic clad corridor with a distinctive inlaid floor, and the Pavilion, complete with wet bar. Although featuring Briullov’s 1834 Portrait of Countess Samoilova and Molovsky’s 1883 A Boyar Wedding Feast, the space was often used for film screenings, and featured theater seats in the balcony.
Intended to be a seasonal third home for Post, to complement her winter estate Mar-A-Lago, and summer Adirondack estate Camp Topridge, it was also designed to eventually act as a museum following her death. As such, several rooms were constructed with built in display cases, such as the Russian Porcelain Room and Icon Room. Here, Post’s collection of decorative items are the focus, including almost ninety pieces by Carl Faberge, jeweler to Russia’s imperial rulers.
A bit overwhelming, it requires several visits to take in the entirety of the collection. Although the focus may be French and Russian decorative arts, there are countless other treasures on display, including an impressive jewellery collection. In addition, the greenhouse and gardens are absolutely exquisite, easily among the finest in the country.
Post, ever the philanthropist, left the entire estate along with her vast art collection to the Smithsonian upon her death in 1973, as well as a $10 million endowment. In 1976, it was returned to the Post Foundation, as it was believed the endowment was insufficient to maintain the property. Undeterred, the foundation opened the museum themselves in 1977, to much acclaim. An all around impressive collection, it is best appreciated in the summer, when the gardens are in full bloom. https://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/
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