The Fitzgerald chicken topiary is an under-construction topiary in Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States. Construction began in 2019 and as of 2021, the chicken-shaped skeletal frame is complete. Standing at approximately 62 feet (19 m) tall, it is the largest structure of a chicken in the world and, when complete, will be the world's tallest topiary.
| Location | Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States |
|---|---|
| Material | Steel |
| Height | 62 feet (19 m) |
| Weight | 19.5 short tons (17.7 t) |
| Beginning date | 2019 |
History
editFitzgerald, Georgia is a small city in the southern part of the state with a population of about 9,000.[1] The town is noted for its population of wild Burmese chickens that live in and around the main part of the city.[2][3] In 2019, city leaders announced the creation of a large topiary in the shape of a chicken as a way to attract tourism to the city.[1] The project was spearheaded by Mayor Jim Puckett, who said the roadside attraction could target drivers on the nearby Interstate, which is a 20-minute drive from the city.[2] The project was announced in 2019,[1] and while it was initially planned to be completed by later that year,[4] the project experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the designer of the topiary (Tennessee-based topiary artist Topiary Joe) having to take time off to recover from surgery.[1] By May 2021, work was completed on the steel skeletal structure of the topiary, with a total of weight of about 19.5 short tons (17.7 t)[2] and a height of about 62 feet (19 m) tall.[note 1][1] In addition, the bottom of the structure would contain a room that tourists could rent out as a honeymoon suite or a bed and breakfast.[1][5] With the completion of the skeleton, local television station WMAZ-TV called it "the world's largest chicken",[6] while NPR stated that the finished project would be "the largest topiary in the world".[2]
Construction of the topiary was paid for by a special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) that had been directed towards tourism.[6] While the initial cost for the project was expected to be $150,000, the cost eventually rose to over twice this amount.[6] While Mayor Puckett defended the spending as an investment in tourism that would deliver a strong return on investment (noting that the chicken project had been covered on the front page of The Wall Street Journal twice since it was announced),[6][2] others in the city were opposed to the spending, and, according to NPR, the mayoral elections in November 2021 served as a "giant chicken referendum".[2] Puckett lost reelection, with about 91 percent of voters voting against him,[7] and following this, the city council put a freeze on new spending for the project until the newly elected mayor took office in January 2022.[6]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Construction of 62-Foot Chicken Underway in South Georgia". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. May 31, 2021. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Georgia voters say no to building one of the world's largest chicken-shaped topiary". NPR. November 20, 2021. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ Stroud, Emily (January 7, 2020). "Giant topiary chicken gives small town something to crow about". WBIR-TV. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ Poitevint, Bobby (October 21, 2019). "Giant topiary chicken in Fitzgerald expected to break records". WALB. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ Blumberg, Perri Ormont (February 13, 2020). "Fitzgerald, Georgia Will Soon Be Home to the Largest Topiary Sculpture in the World—in the Shape of a Chicken!". Southern Living. Southern Progress Corporation. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Lawler, Suzanne (November 30, 2021). "Bye Bye Birdie: Future of Fitzgerald's giant metal chicken unclear". WMAZ-TV. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ Mazhar, Mehek (November 26, 2021) [November 24, 2021]. "Georgia politician stands by giant topiary chicken that got him ousted as mayor". CBC Radio. Interview by Chris Trowbridge. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
Further reading
edit- Buckner, Heather; McCarthy, Tara; Riley, Betsy; Wells, Myrydd; Wheatley, Thomas; Whittaker, Kamille; Worley, Sam (December 2, 2021). "Hidden Georgia: 58 amazing places we'll bet you've never been". Atlanta. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- McWhirter, Cameron (November 13, 2019). "Small Town in Georgia Has Big Plans for an Enormous Chicken". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- McWhirter, Cameron (November 16, 2021). "'The Chicken Is Obviously Polarizing': Mayor's Giant Topiary Project Gets Him Ousted". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.