Stonehenge & Maryhill Museum of Art

On Saturday August 1, Susan and I visited Stonehenge and the Maryhill Museum of Art.

Stonehenge was the first monument in our nation to honor military personnel who gave their lives in World War 1. It also serves as a reminder of the works of Samuel Hill who established a townsite here, with a post office, hotel, general store, nearly 10 miles of experimental paved roads and the Maryhill Museum located three miles to the west - all on his own land. Sam Hill's tomb is located here on the opposite side of the monument.

The design duplicates the size and original form of England's famous Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. At this site, the altar stone was dedicated on July 4, 1918. The full structure was completed and dedicated on May 30, 1929.

From inside the monument, the Columbia River is seen in the distance and you can barely make out the bridge that crosses the river into Biggs, Oregon.

Since we were so close to the John Day Dam, we also found a cache located on the hills above the dam.

The Maryhill Museum was originally planned as a private residence for entrepreneur Sam Hill. In 1907 he purchased over 5,000 acres of land along the Columbia River to start an agricultural community. He named the new ranchlands project after his daughter, Mary, and started construction in 1914.

When the planned farm community didn't work out, Lois Fuller convinced Hill to convert his unfinished house into an art museum. The museum was dedicated in 1926.

There are about 100 chess sets on exhibit representing the many countries, cultures and periods in which chess has been played.

Maryhill's Outdoor Sculpture Invitational has become one of the premier venues for Northwest artists who create and exhibit large-scale art. The dramatic and rugged setting, with fantastic views of the Columbia River Gorge provides a unique environment for visitors to experience these diverse works. The 2009 Invitational features a number of works from Northwest sculptors.