House of the Seasons

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19th Century American J.W. Fiske Zinc Fountain, Leda and the Swan

The House of the Seasons acquired this extremely rare zinc fountain from a dealer in Boston. “Leda and the Swan” represents some of the finest American metalwork ever produced and is known to be the only remaining J.W. Fiske “Leda and the Swan” fountain still in existence. 

19th Century American J. W. Fiske was the most prominent American manufacturer of decorative cast iron and cast zinc in the second half of the nineteenth century. He designed and built the fountain in circa 1875 from zinc. Fiske’s great rival in the decorative cast iron field was J.L. Mott Iron Works, also of New York City. 

The artists stunning sculptural work depicts the Classical Greek tale of “Leda and the Swan”. Leda and her child peer into the heavens, resting gracefully upon the shoulders of Zeus, who is portrayed in the form of a Swan.

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Victorian Garden at House of the Seasons

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We are enjoying the development of a Victorian garden on the north lot of the property at House of the Seasons. Planting and building is underway and progress can be seen when passing by.

Before & After

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Visit the Garden

GardenFlowersA crushed granite walkway invites you into the garden, as it meanders around the gazebo.

A secret garden can be seen from the house, mixed with formal plantings all around. Native plants and bird baths add vitality and vibrant color.

The architecture featured in the garden has been designed to reflect the 1872 design of the house.

Still to Come

In addition to the gazebo, the garden will also feature a pergola in the center of the property.

A flagstone floor, and gas lights from New Orleans will also be making an appearance soon.

The Landscape Architect is Mark Crenshaw who lives on Caddo Lake (www.markcrenshawlandscape.com). The plants were acquired through Roy Coopman who currently lives in Waskom and has lived in Jefferson. Coopman also helped design the garden with Crenshaw. Rusty Tucker of Longview is developing the irrigation system which will get its water from the property’s cistern.

ABOUT THE HOUSE OF THE SEASONS
The House of the Seasons is a historical home in Jefferson that offers bed and breakfast accommodations in its carriage house. The original owner was Colonel Benjamin H. Epperson, a Texas lawyer, political leader, entrepreneur and confidante of Sam Houston. He built the home in 1872. Richard H. Collins acquired the home in 1973, and spent three years restoring it. It is now owned by the Collins Family Foundation. Guests have included; President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, Former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, Lawrence Rockefeller, NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback and Congressman Jack Kemp, former Bush advisor Karl Rove, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Congressmen Ralph Hall, Jim Chapman, Sam Johnson, Louie Gohmert, movie star Karl Malden, and authors, Pat Conroy and Fannie Flagg. Visit houseoftheseasons.com for more information.

Email seasons@houseoftheseasons.com or call 903-665-8000 to reserve space for your next event; we host weddings, receptions, holiday gatherings and dinner parties.

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Statue: Boy Stealing Geese

Born in Vienna in 1865, Karl Theodore Francis Bitter was trained as a sculptor from an early age and worked as a sculptural apprentice in his native Austria. He emigrated to the United States in 1888 and quickly found work doing architectural decoration. Within two years, Bitter was commissioned to complete the bronze doors at Trinity Church in Manhattan, and was eventually named President of the National Sculpture Society from 1906-08.

Bitter created a number of other fountains including Girl with Geese for John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s Pocantico Hills estate, Kykuit. Only two casts of Boy Stealing Geese were made. The original cast was commissioned by George W. Vanderbilt for his home in North Carolina. The photographed piece is the second and final casting of Boy Stealing Geese and was cast in 1895 and was displayed in Bitter’s home.

The sculptural depiction of geese dates back to ancient times. Bitter would have had access to some of the plaster casts and was aware of the Hellenistic group of sculpture, Boy Struggling with a Goose. Bitter’s sculpture, however, is much more animated and dynamic, with the boy lifting the entire goose in his arms while another at his feet spreads its wings attempting to take flight. Bitter revisited the subject later with his Girl with Geese bronze sculpture, which appears much less chaotic as the girl cradles a docile goose while others rest at her feet.

According to his family, Bitter’s representation of geese holds a more significant meaning. It is said that the artist owned a pet goose he had trained, named Fifi, which he used as a model and purportedly walked on a leash and accompanied him on vacation.