Travels in the 2nd half

  The United States Postal Service has a history that is longer than the country itself. It was established in 1775 by the 2nd Continental Congress. It is such a part of American history that in 1886, the Smithsonian Institute established the National Philatelic Collection. The collection was housed at the Arts and Industry Building until 1963. The collection was moved to the Museum of American History when it opened in 1964. Here the collection was expanded to include more artifacts from the history of the Postal Service. In 1993, the main post office in DC was renovated, and the National Postal Museum was established and moved into its current home there.  Benjamin Franklin by William Zorach. Franklin was the first Postmaster General On the main floor of the Post Office is the new home for the Philatelic Collection. This large gallery contains a range of stamps form U.S. history, along with at least one stamp for almost every country in the world. The lower level of the Pos...

Hillwood Mansion   Washington D.C. is a city that is filled with museums and historic sites. The branches of the Smithsonian Institute represent just a few of the many choices in the nation’s capital. But travel away from downtown and you will find a small gem - The Hillwood Museum. Marjorie Merriweather Post The Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens was the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post (1877-1973). Post was the only child of C.W. Post, founder of Possum Cereal Company, now known as General Foods Corporation. In the 1920’s, she was the richest woman in the United States. She had several estates during her lifetime, including Mar-A-Lago, in Palm Beach (yes, that one); Hillwood (Long Island), which became CW Post college (now part of Long Island University); and the Hillwood estate in Washington D.C., which Post bought in 1957. For the next fifteen years it became a center of “social life” among Washington’s elite. She intended to leave the estate and her art collection to the S...