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 Maryhill Castle - Maryhill, Washington Posted by:  Hikenutty
N 45° 40.706 W 120° 51.707
10T E 666522 N 5060543
Maryhill Castle, now known as Maryhill Museum of Art, was built on the edge of the Columbia Gorge by Sam Hill who wanted to create a Quaker colony in the area. The museum has varied collection, including a large collection of Rodin sculptures.
Waymark Code: WM1GCD
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2007
Views: 105
Exerpt from tour 3 of Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State, published in 1941.
...to MARYHILL CASTLE, an isolated mansion which resembles a palace and blends strangely with the setting of the wild gorge. It was completed in 1926 by the late multimillionaire, Samuel Hill, pioneer good roads advocate, international peace promoter, royalty's friend, and the son-in-law of "Empire Builder" James J. Hill. It was originally selected as the site for a Quaker colony, but Samuel Hill discovered that many of the colonists he imported from Belgium were reluctant to settle on the parched slopes of the gorge. Although colonizing ideas were abandoned, Maryhill Castle rose in desolate grandeur. The mansion, planned by New York architects, includes large garages, spacious driveways, and electric and gas equipment. The castle is approached through lanes of white poplars, which provide an impressive setting for the gray stone structure overlooking the gorge. Hill decided to convert the building into a museum, and invited Queen Marie of Rumania to dedicate it in 1926.
The mansion, named for Hill's daughter Mary, is simply called "Maryhill" these days and still houses the art collection that Sam started back in the 1920's. The building is actually not stone, as the excerpt states, but poured concrete. Designed by the historic firm of Hornblower & Marshall, Maryhill is constructed of steel I-beams with interior steel studs. The walls, floors, and ceilings are of poured concrete reinforced with steel. No wood has been used in the structural parts of the building. The recessed windows are a distinctive trademark of the firm. Maryhill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Maryhill Museum of Art is open March 15th through November 15th each year, from 9-5 daily. Cost of admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $3 for children. The sculpture garden, mansion grounds, and sculptural overlook on the site can be visited free of charge. The museum is located about 12 miles South of Goldendale, just off Highway 14 which runs along the scenic corridor of the Columbia Gorge.
Book: Washington
Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 396
Year Originally Published: 1941
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