Maryhill Museum of Art
Encyclopedia
The Maryhill Museum of Art is a small museum with an eclectic collection, located 45°40′40.11"N 120°51′50.15"W near Maryhill in the U.S. state
of Washington.
The structure was built as a mansion by entrepreneur Samuel Hill
. The museum is on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge
.
Notable among its collection are:
As of spring 2007, the museum is showing a temporary exhibit on the construction of The Dalles Dam and the consequent destruction of Celilo Falls
.
Sam Hill's Maryhill mansion was designed by the firm of Marshall and Hornblower, and constructed with concrete and steel construction in 1914. At the urging of Queen Marie
of Romania
, Hill ultimately turned the mansion into the Maryhill Museum of Art, but this was not completed until nine years after his death.
It was another friend of Hill's (and a mutual friend of Fuller and Queen Marie), Alma de Bretteville Spreckels
, who provided significant funding and helped oversee the final phase of the museum's construction, which opened on Hill's birthday, May 13, 1940.
The Maryhill Stonehenge
is also part of the Maryhill Museum of Art.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington.
The structure was built as a mansion by entrepreneur Samuel Hill
Samuel Hill
Samuel Hill , usually known as Sam Hill, was a businessman, lawyer, railroad executive and advocate of good roads in the Pacific Northwest...
. The museum is on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south...
.
Notable among its collection are:
- a number of sculptures by Auguste RodinAuguste RodinFrançois-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
, - Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
artifacts, - stages sets and mannequins from 1946 Theatre de la Mode,
- over a hundred unusual chess sets,
- Orthodox iconIconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
ographic paintings donated by Queen MarieMarie of EdinburghMarie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
of RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, - a permanent exhibit on the dancer Loie FullerLoie FullerLoie Fuller Loie Fuller Loie Fuller (also Loïe Fuller; (January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928) was a pioneer of both modern dance and theatrical lighting techniques.-Career:...
, - a permanent exhibit on Hill's life and projects,
- the Maryhill Loops RoadMaryhill Loops RoadThe Maryhill Loops Road was an experimental road in south central Washington, United States, built by good roads promoter Samuel Hill with the help of engineer and landscape architect Samuel C. Lancaster, climbing the Columbia Hills from the Columbia River and Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway...
.
As of spring 2007, the museum is showing a temporary exhibit on the construction of The Dalles Dam and the consequent destruction of Celilo Falls
Celilo Falls
Celilo Falls was a tribal fishing area on the Columbia River, just east of the Cascade Mountains, on what is today the border between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington...
.
Sam Hill's Maryhill mansion was designed by the firm of Marshall and Hornblower, and constructed with concrete and steel construction in 1914. At the urging of Queen Marie
Marie of Romania
Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Hill ultimately turned the mansion into the Maryhill Museum of Art, but this was not completed until nine years after his death.
It was another friend of Hill's (and a mutual friend of Fuller and Queen Marie), Alma de Bretteville Spreckels
Alma de Bretteville Spreckels
Alma de Bretteville Spreckels , known both as "Big Alma" and "The Great Grandmother of San Francisco", was a wealthy socialite and philanthropist who, among her many accomplishments, persuaded her first husband, sugar magnate Adolph B...
, who provided significant funding and helped oversee the final phase of the museum's construction, which opened on Hill's birthday, May 13, 1940.
The Maryhill Stonehenge
Maryhill Stonehenge
The Maryhill Stonehenge is a full-size, astronomically-aligned replica of Stonehenge located in Maryhill, Washington. It was commissioned in the early 20th century by businessman Samuel Hill and dedicated on July 4, 1918 as a memorial to those that died in World War I...
is also part of the Maryhill Museum of Art.