'Hillwood' was built for Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband Edward F. Hutton by Charles Hart of the firm Hart & Shape in Brookville from 1921 to 1929. The couple purchased 'Warburton Hall', an Addison Mizner designed home built for William Prime, and demolished most of the original house. Post was the daughter of C.W. Post, founder of the Postum Cereal Company, which later became the General Foods Corporation. She was an incredibly interesting individual; she married four times, built numerous mansions (including Mar-a-Lago) and was at one time the wealthiest woman in America. The home she built in Brookville was a Tudor and has exquisite detail throughout. All the wood carving was done on site and in the estate's prime the home was self sufficient, growing fruit and vegetables as well as having a dairy and cattle. In 1951 the home became part of Long Island University's C.W. Post campus. Today the house operates as the administrative offices for the school. Click HERE to see 'Hillwood' on google earth. Click HERE to see the gardens of 'Hillwood'.
The entrance.
The exterior of the 'Great Room', the Prime's central hall that was incorporated into Post's new house.
The small porch on the right leads to the formal garden.
The soffit outside the window of Nedenia Marjorie Post's bedroom. Nedenia was Marjorie Post and Edward Hutton's only child. Nedenia would go on to become the actress Dina Merrill.
The playhouse, also known as 'Deen Wee'. The playhouse had a bedroom,a sitting room, a kitchen, running water and electricity.
'Post Cottage', the guesthouse.
The garage. The windows at the far end have since replaced bay doors.
Adelaide Brevoort Close's home, built in 1928 next to her mother's home. Adelaide was one of Marjorie's children from her first marriage to Edward Bennett Close.Not only would I like to thank Ken Mensing for all the help, I would also suggest anyone interested in this fascinating house to consider a great book Ken co-wrote entitled 'Hillwood: The Long Island Estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post'.
4 comments:
Dina Merril now lives in a surprisingly modest townhouse here in Georgetown - surprising because she grew up in such splendor! While her house is very nice, it doesn't compare to any of her mother's homes!
WOW, love that playhouse!!
Actually, it's Mrs. Post grandaughter who lives in Georgetown, not Dina. Dina lives in NY and CA.
My mother was an English Lit professor at CW Post College back in the 1960s. My sister and I used to play in the playhouse... just our size at the time and would run through the boxwood maze gardens and saw an outdoor play of A Midsummer Night's Dream where my sister played "Puck" in the outdoor theater. BTW, my mother's office was the most beautiful solid marble bathroom which was HUGH and so lovely! I'm sure it's gone by now.
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