New Tree Sculptures at Copper House

David and I have long been in the market for outdoor sculpture to beautify and enhance the Copper House grounds. We just hadn’t found the right piece, at the right time, at the right price… until now.

Here’s how they came to be. I was looking for nightstands for our bedroom and found just the ones I wanted south of the Philadelphia airport in Swedesboro, New Jersey, about an hour and a half from here. They were located in a dealer’s storage unit on the property of a warehouse filled with antique furniture. As I was pulling onto the property, I noticed a large metal tree sculpture. More than those nightstands, I wanted THIS!

As I was pulling into the warehouse complex, I spotted this sculpture. More than the nightstands I had come to purchase, I wanted THIS! Could it be for sale?

As I was loading up the nightstands, I asked about the tree sculpture. “Talk to Jim. He’ll know for sure.” When I found Jim and asked if it was for sale, he laughed. “There’s a bunch of them,” pointing in the direction of an entire phalanx, “salvaged from a casino restaurant in Atlantic City five years ago. I held onto them until just a few weeks ago and someone bought all of them… but” he said, “I think I can get you some. How many would you like?” “Three,” I responded hopefully. We exchanged numbers and by late that afternoon, we had sealed the deal.

Though I can find no evidence, these multiple tree sculptures were allegedly salvaged from a casino restaurant in Atlantic City, New Jersey five years ago.

The deal sealed, David and I headed back down to Swedesboro, New Jersey to pick out our three tree sculptures. At first glance, they all looked alike. A closer look revealed they were each distinct.

Next challenge: How to transport them. Because of their height, Jim said strapping them down on a flatbed trailer was best. We called the only person we knew with a big truck and a trailer. Ryan happily agreed to fetch them. He admitted the journey was a bit harrowing, hoping they wouldn’t tip over!

We found the perfect spot for the tree sculptures, but before we could place them, we had to clear the land of tall invasive bushes.

With the bushy stalks cleared, Ryan leveled the area in just a couple of hours, accomplishing what would have taken us days by hand.

Now it was time to place these mammoth sculptures. Because they each weighed over five hundred pounds, we thought we might need a forklift, but with his excavator and tightly bound straps, Ryan was able to set the scultpures in place.

With the sculptures in place, it was time to turn our attention to the land. We spread a truckload of leaf mulch, which not only prepared the land for spring planting, but in the interim gave the space a rich, dark covering.

Before spreading the leaf mulch, David ran electrical wiring, so we were able to light them just in time for the dark season ahead.

Now daylight or dark, when you arrive for a Copper House retreat, stop for a moment in the outer parking area, and take in these beautiful sculptures, especially knowing the backstory.

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