Friday, April 2, 2010

Postcard, Maryhill Museum of Art, Happy PFF!


High on a bluff in Washington State, overlooking the mighty Columbia River and Oregon on the other side ... this amazing art museum has a wonderful, but sad, history.


The museum is housed in a grand mansion, built (1907) on over 6,000 acres of property owned by Sam Hill, a wealthy businessman and Quaker pacifist who planned on founding a Quaker agricultural community on the estate. The project received its name from his adored daughter, Mary Hill. His fondest wish was that his family would live here.

Unfortunately, his wife hated the area - and Mr. Hill realized she would never live there. He gave up his dream. He agreed that it should become a museum of art.

In 1926 the museum of art was dedicated.

Even then, problems surrounded the estate, mostly involving irrigation and location.

The museum finally opened to the general public in 1940.
Unfortunately, Samuel Hill passed away in 1931, and never saw this final triumph.

“Sometimes the things dreamers do seem incomprehensible to others,
and the world wonders why dreamers do not see the way others do”

— Queen Marie of Romania
at the dedication of the unfinished Maryhill Museum of Art, 1926

10 comments:

  1. Wow--beautiful postcard. And I liked the story--I didn't realize that was the background to this wonderful place. I especially like that quote at the end.

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  2. Yes wonderful postcard. I lived just north of Washington State, in British Columbia Canada. The picture looks a lot like that area, since our home was just a couple miles away from that same mighty Columbia River. My father worked at the Cominco mine in Trail, B.C. and the land surrounding that whole area is dry, and arid an just not very pretty to me (I only ever remember stepping into that water once, it was cold and looked too dangerous to venture very far), though the winters were very mild. My college sat on a bit of land not unlike the one in the picture, at the edge of the river too. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. What a lovely vista - and it's an artistic card about an art museum. Nice!
    Evelyn in Montreal

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  4. It is a sad story, but at least it finally opened. It looks like a lovely place!

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  5. Howdy Clytie
    Blessings of joy to you today .
    A very happy PFF .
    Your postcard was filled with beauty as well as sadness .
    Very rich in history as well .
    How wonderful to have had a beautiful dream like this .
    May you have a blessed Easter weekend full of special miracles.
    Big Hugs from Texas
    happy Trails

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  6. That's a sad story, but I can see why his wife didn't want to live there. I wonder why the Queen of Romania dedicated it.

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  7. Beautiful card, and interesting story. Thanks, and happy Easter!

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  8. Wow, you really know your stuff. Great story, sad, and aren't dreamers always having some difficulty or other. Too bad they aren't appreciated in their time.

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  9. Great story and a beautiful site. Is the museum interesting? Thanks for sharing. Happy PFF.

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  10. That part of Washington is beautiful... I have always wanted to visit Maryhill... THANKS for sharing and for stopping by. PFF

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