M
arjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress behind General Foods, transformed Hillwood Estate into a museum of 18th-century French and Russian art after purchasing it in 1955. The 26,000-square-foot mansion in Washington D.C. served as her home base during spring and fall, while Mar-a-Lago was her winter retreat.

    Post's eye for beauty and history is reflected in the estate's interiors, featuring rooms like the French Drawing Room with gilded panels from Louis XVI's time and original fireplaces. The Icon Room housed Russian Orthodox art treasures, including Fabergé eggs gifted by Russian Tsars to family members. Custom display cases throughout the house showcased porcelain, paintings, and artifacts rarely found outside museums.

    The estate's grounds spanned 25 acres of manicured lawns and themed gardens, including a Japanese Garden designed in the 1950s and a formal French parterre with English ivy walls. Post hosted parties on the Lunar Lawn, where guests could see the Washington Monument peeking through the trees.

    Visitors to Hillwood could also see its unique kitchen, which required hand-washing dishes due to Post's fine china and porcelain being too delicate for a dishwasher. The butler's pantry was stocked with General Foods products, highlighting her ties to the food empire she helped build.

    Post envisioned Hillwood as a public museum, which it became after her death. Every detail, from the lilac sofas in the Pavilion to trays for snacks during movie screenings, shows her legacy of sharing beauty and art with others. Today, Hillwood remains a grand time capsule and one of D.C.'s hidden gems, offering the public a glimpse into the opulent life of America's most remarkable businesswomen.