This aerial view of the monument gives you the scale, the setting, and the feel of the monument in this amazing place.
Stonehenge is in England, right? Not the Pacific Northwest? The original Stonehenge sits on the Salisbury Plains of southwest England, and has since ancient times. The ruins there were the inspiration for a re-creation on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge by a forward-thinking mover and shaker and philanthropist, Samuel Hill.
Sam Hill was instrumental in the promotion of paved roads and improved transportation in the Pacific Northwest area. One of his most lasting creations was the Historic Columbia River Highway that follows the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side. Sam built the Stonehenge Memorial as a tribute to the terrible losses in WW1 “the Great War” of 1914-1918 and especially to memorialize those from Klickitat county that lost their lives in that war.
The Memorial on the Washington side of the Columbia River sits next to the Maryhill Museum, a surprising find along the rugged hills of this part of the Gorge east of the Cascade Mountain range. Sam Hill built the Maryhill Museum building in 1914 originally to create a grand self-sustaining home for Sam and his family, once hosting the likes of the Queen of Romania. It became an art museum in 1926 and the burial site of Sam Hill in 1931.
The memorial was completed in 1929 with guidance from leading authorities on archaeology, astronomy, and engineering of that time to duplicate as much as possible, the original size and design of the ancient ruins in England. It is a fascinating place to be on summer solstice or winter solstice!
Watch more about the fascinating Sam Hill on Oregon Public Broadcasting
This short documentary about Sam Hill tells the story of Maryhill Museum, the Stonehenge monument, and the creation of the Columbia River Gorge Highway, which many of you will probably drive to get to Maryhill.
https://watch.opb.org/video/oregon-experience-sam-hill/
Directions:
The Stonehenge Memorial is open daily 7 a.m. to dusk. Admission is free.
Driving times:
about 2 hours east of Portland, Oregon
about 4 hours SE of Seattle
about 4 hours SW of Spokane
about 45 minutes east of Hood River, OR
