History of the
Vanderbilt Estate
2008 Special Events
All about the FWVGA
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Farewell to Orpheus
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When the Vanderbilts purchased the estate in 1835, Frederick added
the Rose garden to the existing gardens. At the end of the garden,
he added a loggia, to provide a cool place to sit and enjoy the garden
during the hot summer days. In front of the loggia was a fountain
containing a frog who spit water into the air. When Lila gave him the
Orpheus statue in 1925, the frog was removed. The fountain with
Orpheus has remained a centerpiece of the garden ever since.
When the fountain was functioning, water would come out of the mouth
of a small fish sitting under Orpheus' left foot. The water would
spill into the bowl under the statue and then dribble over the edge
into the larger basin below. Over the years, the edge of the upper
bowl has eroded away. However, the scalloped decoration is still
visible.
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