William
Henry Stark moved to Orange, Texas, in 1870 to work in the area sawmills,
working his way up the ladder and marrying Miriam Melissa Lutcher, daughter of
a partner in the Lutcher Moore Cypress Lumber Company of Lutcher, Louisiana.
Stark managed two mills for his father-in-law and invested in other industries
and real estate, leading to him become one of the most successful southeast
Texas residents.
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| Stark Museum of Art |
So why is this weird?
If
you visit the small town — and we mean pretty small — of Orange, Texas, today, you’ll find the world-class art
museum, the Stark Museum of Art, surrounded by the historic buildings of the
W.H. Stark House and
the
Lutcher Theatre.
The
Stark Museum or Art contains one of the nation’s most significant collections
of 19th and 20th century American Western art and artifacts, in addition to
American Indian art, collections of glass and porcelain and rare books and
manuscripts. Stark and his wife built the massive 14,000 square foot Queen Anne
house in 1894 and lived there until 1936. Today, the exquisite home is open to
the public and displays its stained glass windows, woodwork in cypress and long
leaf pine and the family’s furnishings. The Lutcher Theater is a 1,460-seat
performing arts facility that houses the largest performing arts series from
Houston to New Orleans.
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| W.H. Stark House |
The
most astounding legacy of Stark, however, can be attributed to his son, Henry
Jacob Lutcher Stark — the magnificent
Shangri-La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. The gardens’ 252 acres houses more than 300 plant species in five
formal “rooms”
as well as four sculpture rooms, a bird blind to observe nesting birds in
Shangri La’s heronry and the Nature Center which includes a hands-on exhibit
called the Nature Discovery Center, a laboratory, and three outdoor classrooms
located in the cypress swamp. The gardens also include an Exhibit Hall,
Discovery Theater, Children’s Garden, Exhibition Greenhouses, Cafe, and Garden
Store.
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| Shangri La |
H.J.
Lutcher Stark was inspired by the mystical retreat written about in “Lost
Horizon” and wanted to create one of his own in southeast Texas. He established
the “Shangri La” gardens along Adams Bayou in 1937, an oasis that included a
cypress/tupelo swamp and lines of gorgeous azalea bushes, Stark’s favorite
flower.
In
1946, the gardens were opened to the public and thousands of visitors traveled
to Orange to experience Shangri-La. A snowstorm in 1958 closed the gardens and
they remained so for almost 50 years when, with the support of the Nelda C. and
H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private foundation that was established by Stark
and his wife, Nelda, in 1961 prior to his death, reopened the estate. Today,
the gardens are what Stark envisioned and so much more.
During
the holidays, Shangri La offers
Evening Christmas Strolls where dazzling light
displays and community-decorated Christmas trees greet visitors. The strolls
are held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 11-13, 18-20 and 26-27. Admission is $6 for
adults, $4 for seniors and children and Shangri La members are admitted free.
There is also half-price admission for each visitor with a non-perishable food
item for one evening. Food donations will benefit Orange Christian
Services.
Now orange you glad you read the whole blog?
For
information on attractions by the Stark Foundation, visit
http://starkculturalvenues.org.
Baylor University in Waco is the largest Baptist college in the world. We were told that one of its buildings, the Baylor Sciences Building, is the largest collegiate building as well. The building houses multiple research and service facilities, six academic departments — such as physics and chemistry — and more than a dozen interdisciplinary centers, according to the college website. There's more than 150 labs and almost 40 class and conference rooms inside those walls.
