Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bayou Bend
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 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Westcott St., Houston, Texas |
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| Area | 15 acres (6.1 ha) |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | John F. Staub |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival, English Regency |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002954 |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1979 |
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is a beautiful place in Houston, Texas. It's part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). This special place covers about 14 acres and has amazing collections of decorative art, paintings, and furniture. It used to be the home of a kind person named Ima Hogg, who loved to help others. Bayou Bend was recognized as an important historical site in Texas in 1973 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Contents
The Mansion and Its Gardens
The main house at Bayou Bend was designed by architect John F. Staub. It was built between 1927 and 1928 for Ima Hogg and her brothers, William C. and Michael Hogg. When they first found the land, it was full of tall trees and thick plants. Ima Hogg described it as "nothing but a dense thicket."
This home was one of the first to be built in the River Oaks neighborhood. Ima Hogg made sure that as many trees as possible were saved during construction. Only one tree was removed to make space for the house. The beautiful gardens were then created around the trees that were already there. Ima Hogg chose the name "Bayou Bend," even though her brother Will thought it sounded "too muddy." Ima replied that "not everyone can have a bayou."
Miss Hogg designed the gardens to be like outdoor rooms. They were perfect for living and having fun. In 1957, Miss Hogg gave her home and all her collections to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Bayou Bend first opened to the public in 1966.
Architecture of the Mansion
The design of Bayou Bend mixes different styles. It combines 18th-century Georgian architecture with Southern and Spanish Creole touches. Some parts of the house also look like old Southern plantation homes.
Inside, the house has styles from the northern parts of America. For example, Ima Hogg's bedroom and sitting room have floorboards and wood panels from two 18th-century houses in Massachusetts. In February 1999, the city of Houston officially named Bayou Bend a city landmark.
Exploring the Gardens
The 14 acres of heavily wooded land along Buffalo Bayou include eight special gardens. Three of these gardens are named after statues of goddesses or muses found there: Clio, Diana, and Euterpe. The other gardens are called White, East, Butterfly, and Carla.
In September 2008, a strong storm called Hurricane Ike caused a lot of damage to the gardens. Luckily, none of the statues were harmed. However, about 65 to 70 percent of the pine trees fell. An American holly tree, which was 55 feet tall and the tallest of its kind in Harris County, Texas, also fell. The Curator of Gardens, Bart Brechter, estimated it would take months to clean up and years to fully restore the gardens.
The Amazing Collection
The collection at Bayou Bend has about 4,700 items. These objects show the history and styles of American decorative arts from 1620 to 1876. They are displayed in 28 rooms that look like they would have during those time periods. Miss Hogg started collecting these important American decorative arts in 1920. To make these old treasures look their best, the architect Staub designed simple but grand rooms in the style of colonial American homes.
In 1920, while having her portrait painted by artist Wayman Adams, Miss Hogg saw and admired a simple armchair. It was made in colonial America. Later, she found a similar Queen Anne chair for herself. Almost 50 years later, Miss Hogg bought the exact same chair she had first seen in Adams' studio! She said, "From the time I acquired my first Queen Anne armchair in 1920, I had an unaccountable compulsion to make an American collection for some Texas museum." The collection also includes special items from outside America, like English ceramics that were used in Colonial America.
See also
In Spanish: Jardines y Colección de Bayou Bend para niños
