The United States turns 250 this year! Read on to learn more about how Hillwood is celebrating in this post by Jason Speck, head of archives and special collections.

In honor of our nation’s 250th birthday, Hillwood’s curatorial and collections department has collaborated on two cases that showcase Marjorie Post’s love of, and involvement in, American history. The first case, located in the mansion entry hall, focuses on the many presidential inaugurations Post was invited to or participated in. From Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Richard Nixon, inaugural committees “requested the honor” of Marjorie Merriweather Post’s presence at the ceremony and related events. In 1945, Post’s husband, Joseph Davies, chaired Roosevelt’s inaugural committee. While the idea was initially abandoned due to wartime restrictions, Davies financed and arranged for the creation of bronze, silver and gold medals to commemorate Roosevelt’s fourth inauguration. The gold medal on display is one of only ten gold medals that were produced by the U.S. Mint; other recipients include FDR and Sir Winston Churchill. For the 1949 inauguration of Harry Truman, Marjorie Post Davies hosted the governor’s reception, the invitation for which can be seen on display.

The second case, located in the first floor library, speaks to Post’s great interest in the history of the United States; her library holds the writings and biographies of several of our nation’s leaders, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. She was especially interested in Lincoln, as her grandfather both knew Lincoln and served as a member of an honor guard that accompanied Lincoln’s body from Chicago to Springfield, Illinois by a special train. The accompanying display presents a few objects from Post’s collection related to Lincoln. The case also features an original letter signed in 1799 by George Washington, asking a business acquaintance to deliver a letter on his behalf.

Check out the displays highlighting Post’s connections to American history on the first floor of the mansion.

We want to extent a heartfelt thanks to our fabulous garden docents for another wonderful spring season, which ended on Sunday, June 14. With their support, we saw 3,645 visitors on 379 garden tours this spring. We greatly appreciate the hard work, enthusiasm, and dedication they bring to their tours at Hillwood!