Earl Loy Collection
Scope and Contents
Various newspaper and magazine clippings about Dina Merrill’s marriages, the death of David Post Rumbough (Dina Merrill’s son), Marjorie Durant’s (Marwee's) wedding, Sea Cloud, Hillwood, Mrs. Post, her family, boyfriends, and death, Mar-A-Lago, Topridge, Christmas cards, Emlen Knight Davies, Herbert May, Joseph E. Davies, and Tregaron. The collection also includes photographs of the Post family, Hillwood and its gardens, and the retirement party for general manager Commander Clyde B. Ault in 1969. It also contains photographs of the Close family, including Edward B. Close, Adelaide Brevoort Close and her daughters Ellen and Melissa; some of the these photographs date to the 19th century. Two additional items of note include an invitation from President and Mrs. Eisenhower for Marjorie Post to dine with them September 1959; and a "Hillwood" napkin commemorating a trip aboard the Merriweather for several of Post's staff in September 1960.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1850-1990
Creator
- Loy, Earl (Compiler, Person)
Language of Materials
Materials are entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Biographical Note
Earl Loy (1922-2013) began working for Marjorie Post in 1940, at her residence on Foxhall Road. Loy began his career of over fifty years as a groundskeeper at the Washington Golf and Country Club, before being noticed by Post while working on the creation of a golf course. This began a relationship that would last for more than thirty years. Loy followed Post to her next home, Tregaron, and then eventually to Hillwood. While he began working for Post as a gardener and part-time chauffeur, Loy eventually became Superintendent of Gardens and Grounds, with full responsibility for the gardening staff, gardens, grounds and greenhouses.
A typical day for Loy started at 7am. He would arrive and create an arrangement of fresh flowers that would be taken to Post along with her breakfast. Loy also maintained more than thirty pots of fresh flowers throughout the house, including the breakfast room, dining room and front hall. At 9:30 Loy would meet with Post to go over any plans for the gardens. While Loy had a gardening uniform, he would change into a suit before meeting with Post. After this meeting he would then attend to his duties on the grounds, including personally trimming and cutting the Lunar Lawn and the Japanese-style garden.
After Post’s passing in 1973 Loy went on to work for socialite Pamela Harriman, who he worked for while she was U.S. Ambassador to France. Loy retired in the late 1990s. During his retirement he donated materials to the Hillwood archives and gave an invaluable oral history documenting his time working for Post.
Full Extent
2 Linear Feet (2 legal boxes, 1 flat 12" photo box)
Arrangement
This collection has no formal series arrangement or structure. Instead, it has been cataloged at the folder level to maintain original order.
Subject
- Post, Marjorie Merriweather (Person)
- Camp Topridge (Organization)
- Davies, Joseph E. (Joseph Edward) (Person)
- Dye, Marjorie Merriweather Post (Marwee) (Person)
- Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens (Washington, D.C.) (Organization)
- Mar-A-Lago. National Historic Site. (Palm Beach, Fla.) (Organization)
- May, Herbert A. (Herbert Arthur May) (Person)
- Merrill, Dina (Person)
- Sea Cloud (Yacht) (Organization)
- Tregaron (Organization)
- Close, Edward Bennett (Person)
- Riggs, Adelaide Close (Person)
- Title
- Earl Loy Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Allison Rein
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Revision Statements
- May 2019: Finding aid revised by Abby Stambach, May 2019.
- July 2023: Items rearranged and cataloged by Anna Rose Iverson, and finding aid revised by Jason Speck, July 2023.
Repository Details
Part of the Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, Archives and Special Collections Repository
4155 Linnean Ave NW
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
Archives and Special Collections
Washington DC 20008 USA
202-243-3912
kaughenbaugh@hillwoodmuseum.org