After taking the time to visit their web site I noticed that they recommend have a booking before arriving. We decided that we wanted to visit on Tuesday January 9 so on Friday December 15 I called and made a reservation for three for the 10am tour. At that time I was told to wear flat shoes and that cameras, bottled water, purses and backpacks would not be allowed inside the house. Lockers, however, are provided to hold your items while you tour.
Bayou Bend was the brain child of the three Hoggs, Will, Mike and their sister Ima. Yes all of us ask why anyone would name their child Ima Hogg. As it turns out her father named her for the heroine in his brother's poem that was named Ima which was short for Imogene. Her grandfather when he heard her name came rushing to protest but the christening had already taken place so in her own words "Ima I was to remain." James Hogg the father of Ima was the first native born governor of Texas and he purchased a property on which oil was found. It was discovered after his death but his children became immensely wealthy. With great wealth comes great civic responsibility and Ima became one of the great collectors of her time.
Bayou Bend was designed by architect John Staub in a style that became known as Latin Colonial. It is located on three bends of Buffalo Bend six miles outside Houston and on fourteen acres. Her friend Henry Dupont encouraged her to turn it into a house museum (he was the owner of Winterthur) It was owned by Ima until 1957 at which time she donated it to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She continued to live in the house until 1965.
Today what people come to see is her exceptional collection of decorative arts from as early as 1620, which all began with the purchase of a single chair. The tour began in the visitor center and our docent was Carol Crawford. Our tour had five people on it . The tour begins as we walk through the garden to the house, Ima’s favorite color was pink and this is reflected in her choice of garden flowers, azaleas, crepe myrtle, camellias, all pink.
Once inside the house we enter the Murphy room, the vignette here is a 17th-century tavern. Wonderful furniture, porcelains and a couple of paintings. We moved chronologically though time and through rooms viewing scenes that have been created to capture a moment in time. All the details of the room have been carefully orchestrated with great attention paid to every item. With the help of her friends Ima had a great eye for historic items.
We spent well over an hour in the house and at the end of the tour we were let loose on our own to tour the gardens. We spent another half hour there and considered it a morning well spent.
From journal Ima Believer in Houston