D&C's DC: A Visit to Hillwood

It's been entirely too long since I've done one of these, so I'm going to make up for some lost time.

The Hillwood Estate is one of the more interesting, off-the-beaten path sites in DC. It was the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the Post cereal fortune, founder of General Foods, and with one-time husband E. F. Hutton the developer of Birdseye Frozen Foods. When she was married to Joseph Davies, the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union during 1937 and '38, she lived in Russia and used her sizable fortune (she was, after all, the wealthiest woman in America) to purchase tons of Imperial Russian jewelry and treasures that would have otherwise been destroyed and melted down. These treasures were later kept in her DC home Hillwood, where she lived from 1955 to her death in 1973; with rare foresight, Miss Post (she resumed her maiden name after her fourth and last divorce) intended her home to be a museum after her death, and had hired a private curator and security experts.

It's a fascinating spot to visit, located in a ritzy residential neighborhood, very quiet and not the easiest place to reach by public transport (but it is possible). Security is very strict, and unsurprisingly so; the treasures are staggering and include a crown and a Faberge egg, and photography is forbidden inside the museum. (You'll have to check out the official website, or visit the place yourself.

But, when I was there, I took copious photos of the grounds and gardens, which are quite impressive...

Outside the main building.

An intriguing urn outside the house.

The equally intriguing entrance to the gardens. That ivied arch promises so much...

Perhaps the most aristocratic, and Frenchest, sphinx you'll ever see.

Inside the parterre garden, very French and very formal.

Diana! Goddess of the hunt! And probably a reflection on Post's independent spirit.

Some of the lovely roses.

 Post's ashes reside in the base of that pillar, which is planted in the middle of the rose garden.

 An honest-to-goodness putting green!

 Post's "Friendship Walk" concludes in an overlook with four pleasant statues.

 The Japanese Garden occupies a steep hillside; this is looking down from the top.

 A pagoda in the Japanese garden, which also has quite a few Chinese influences. Asian garden, perhaps? Is "Oriental" too out of fashion?

 Kwan Yin peeks out from the Japanese garden.

 Ack! A lotus pond! Look out for murders!

 This path leads to Post's private pet cemetery.

 A most distinguished-looking lion overlooks the Lunar Lawn, the site of many glamorous garden parties in Hillwood's heyday.

 Through the humid summer haze, you can just make out the top of the Washington Monument from the Lunar Lawn. An interesting reminder of the ideals of democracy, as seen from the portico of someone who lived like royalty.

 An interesting astrological lamp near the Lunar Lawn.

 And there's a greenhouse, full of orchids....

...and bonsai!

Touring Hillwood leaves one with all sorts of odd feelings. Post was criticized for taking so much of Russian cultural heritage out of the country, but you can't argue that by doing so she was preserving it for future generations. (Many priceless Russian treasures are now undoubtedly irrevocably lost, unless sitting in the vault of some Bondian collector villain.) And while I'm no fan of the Bolsheviks, it's easy for me to understand why there was a revolution when I see the wealth and glitter the upper classes bedecked themselves in, paid for with the sweat and blood of the workers. Of course, if it wasn't for the wealthy patrons, would great art exist? One of the great unanswerable questions. And while Post lived like royalty, she gave freely to many charities and intended from the start to leave Hillwood to the public as a museum.

Hillwood is still a great place to visit; they actively reach out to the local gay community (using the slogan "Where fabulous lives!") and have a number of gay-oriented events, as well as hosting other eccentric get-togethers, like the Seersucker Social that was organized by the local group Dandies & Quaintrelles. Admission is $15 for adults but when you consider the value of the collection that's actually pretty cheap.

When I wrote about Tudor Place, I compared it to a gracefully-aging old lady, clinging to her ways but keeping pace with the times. Hillwood is an exuberant grand dame who practically overwhelms you with her fabulousness, and leaves you feeling a bit enervated but also quite impressed. Both these ladies are worthy of a call when you're in town.

D&C's DC, Part 3: Around the Tidal Basin

(I've changed the name of this series, from "Mysterious, Decadent, Spooky or Hidden DC," to something a bit less clumsy and more to the point.)

Well, it's been about a week and a half since the last blizzard, and we're STILL digging ourselves out. Tons of snow remains on the ground in my neighborhood, many sidewalks are still impassible, and street parking is still dicey. It's been sunny but only in the 40s, giving a slow melt which is good for those worried about flooding...except they're calling for rain all day tomorrow. Yipes! We'll see how much goes away.

However, springtime is just around the corner. It's the last week of February, and before we know it, it'll be cherry blossom time here in DC.

You've probably heard a lot about it, but here it is again. The famous cherry blossom trees in DC were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo to the city and people of Washington, back in 1912. Since then, many trees have been replaced as they died out or were damaged in floods, but the National Cherry Blossom Festival has established itself as a celebration of the coming of spring and a tribute to the natural beauty of the trees. (That said, while I'm linking to the festival's site, I hardly ever take part because it's often a tourist madhouse, and there's been concerns raised about the effects of all the foot traffic through the area on the roots of the trees, so if you're going down there, use some discretion.)

But, if you do go down, here's a few shots that I took this past fall that'll point you toward some things to see...



Of course, everyone knows the Jefferson Memorial, but it's one of my favorite spots, and Jefferson was always a hero of mine, so I'm including it.



If you look south across the Tidal Basin and the Potomac, you can spot Arlington House, the former home of Robert E. Lee and the centerpiece of Arlington National Cemetery.





And there's waterfowl galore on the basin, great if you're a birdwatcher.



Thousands of people walk across the Inlet Bridge and never stop to look at the odd bronze sculptures on the sides. I noticed them once, and then did a little digging.



What they are (according to Barbara Seeber's book A City of Gardens), is a joke. When the bridge was refurbished in the 80s, Parks chief Jack Fish was retiring at the same time, so the sculptor used Fish's face as a model for the fish. It's a nice little surprise for anyone sufficiently observant. When I was taking the photos, a family walked over, and the kids were just fascinated by them, but the parents didn't notice or were too determined to get to the next stop.



This rough-hewn stone pagoda was a gift from the mayor of Yokohama in 1958. I love it.



And here's one of DC's most unknown and neglected monuments, the World War One Memorial. Technically, it's not a national memorial, but only for DC residents who fought and died in the Great War, regardless of race, class, or sex. In 2003 it was listed as a "Most Endangered Place" by the DC Preservation League but since then it appears to have been spruced up a bit.



Inside the dome.







Still, as you can see, while it may be no longer physically neglected, it's neglected by tourists, who don't know what it is or don't even know it's there. I wonder if locals know what it is. It's got the names of those who perished in the Great War carved on the sides, and it certainly dignified enough, but it's got a mysterious air about it, almost like a manufactured folly on the grounds of a great estate.

So, if you come down for the Cherry Blossoms (and if you do, let me know...maybe we can assemble and do a Lafcadio Hearn reading under the trees), and you go about to the various memorials, keep your eyes open for these little treasures.

Mysterious, Decadent, Spooky or Hidden DC, Part Two: The Temperance Fountain

A Temperance Fountain?



At 7th and Pennsylvania NW, just across the street from the Archives/Navy Memorial Metro stop, is one of DC's stranger monuments, the Temperance Fountain. Donated to the city in 1882 by dentist Henry Cogswell, it was one of a number of such fountains constructed in various cities (I think I've seen a photo of one in San Francisco) with the goal of providing water as an alternative to alcoholic beverages.



The dolphins would spew water, and there was a brass cup that one could use to scoop up water for you or your horse to drink. Well, I think they're supposed to be dolphins, even though they have scales.



Carvings on the side extol such virtues as Hope, Charity, Faith, and (duh) Temperance, but like the Temperance Movement, it was not taken terribly seriously. Long regarded as the ugliest monument in DC, the city tired of keeping it up and let it run dry, and for a long time the Apex Liquor Store stood nearby. Savor the irony.



Me? I'll give it a break; it's a fun ironic reminder of the past, and it has a heron on top. I like herons. (Why a heron? It's symbolic of water, just like the dolphins.) I'm told there's a Cogswell Society that donates money to maintain the monument, but don't think for a minute they're a subsect of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Instead, the Cogswellians are said to meet for boozy lunches, then stagger up to the monument, and declare loudly, "Here's to temperance! I'll drink to that!" Sounds like my group of people.

I'm featuring this partly because recently I met Garrett Peck, author of Prohibition Hangover. Garrett leads Temperance Tours of downtown DC, starting at the monument, so if you're in the area, keep an eye open for the next tour date. And check out Garrett's main site for other info.

But I've always been fascinated by this little forgotten bit of DC, and I've explained it to a number of people, and now you know as well.

I have other photos waiting to be shared, and books to review, and experiences to chronicle, so stay tuned...