Hill named the place, Maryhill, after his daughter, Mary. He came to the area intending to establish a Quaker agricultural community. Instead, his efforts took shape to create a museum of art when his friend Loie Fuller, a Folies Bergere pioneer of modern dance, convinced him to make the Maryhill mansion into a renowned place of art. Through her connections, Hill acquired an extensive Auguste Rodin inventory, a monumental beginning of the museum collection. Besides Rodin, there's a Native American exhibit, Queen Marie of Romania exhibit and European paintings on display.
Surprises are everywhere.
Later, in 1926, Hill invited the Queen Marie of Romania to dedicate his museum before construction completion. In 1931, before he saw his museum completed, he died. Check the links for more details of the museum and its history and collections . My favorites are the many chess sets in the permanent chess exhibit still there since its 1957 opening exhibition. One of the other great finds in the area is the Goldendale Observatory with the largest telescope available to the public in the United States.