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Virginia Statues

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Johnny Appleseed [gone]
Fredericksburg, VA
 Johnny Appleseed
New Market, VA
Johnny Appleseed
Bedford, VA
There were three known Johnny Appleseed statues which were built for the Johnny Appleseed restaurant chain. These statues are about 14 feet tall and came in two styles, probably from two different artists. Both types hold apples and wear upside down pots on their heads. They were designed to talk when you pressed a button. A restaurant employee said that the original statue came from Disney World but I have found no evidence of that.

It is not known which style came first or if they were produced simultaneously. However, both types are believed to have been produced in the 1970s. The New Market restaurant opened in 1972. The striding Fredericksburg statue and restaurant are now gone. The standing New Market statue's legs were damaged by a car at some point and repaired by an auto body shop. Therefore, his stance is a little irregular. In 2008, this statue's voicebox was repaired. He hadn't been talking since at least the 1990s. For an older photo when he was painted differently, see this website. The New Market restaurant closed in 2016. In 2018, the building was still vacant and the statue was there. [map]

In the early 1990s, Mark Cline was called upon to produce some statues for the chain which had plans to expand to Florida. Cline made a mold from the New Market statue and produced a copy for their Kissimmee location. At some point, the restaurant closed and the statue was moved to gas station in Lloyd, FL. It was adapted by an unknown artist to hold a coffee cup and donut.

Cline produced another Johnny Appleseed statue from the mold for the statue shown above at Johnson's Orchards in Bedford, VA. He also produced an upper torso for the entrance to his Enchanted Castle Studios. He produced another statue from the New Market copy mold for a statue at the Halcyon Days Cider Co. in Natural Bridge, VA.

King Neptune
Virginia Beach, VA
 Fisherman [gone]
Cape Charles, VA
This bronze statue of King Neptune was created by Paul DiPasquale and installed in 2005. It is 34 feet tall. Neptune is depicted with an octopus, two dolphins, a sea turtle, a lobster and 12 fish. It is the largest cast bronze figure erected in the U.S. since the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, DC. It is located on the boardwalk where an annual Neptune Festival takes place. [map]

This Fisherman sat on top of a billboard when these photos were taken in 2007. There was originally a dog next to him. By 2014, the Fisherman was gone.

Presidents Park
Williamsburg, VA
Presidents Park featured 20-foot-tall busts of all the U.S. presidents. They were created by David Adickes, who, inspired by Mt. Rushmore, opened the first Presidents Park in Lead, SD in 2003. The busts are made of Portland cement over steel armatures. They were produced in Houston, TX and transported here by flat-bed truck. Adickes also created a giant Sam Houston and giant statues of the Beatles. This park opened in 2004 and closed in 2010. These photos are from 2007. In addition to the busts, there was a Boeing 707 fuselage replicating Air Force One from the Kennedy through Reagan years. In 2012, the busts were moved to a field. The owner offers private tours. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

More Virginia:
Neptune (Cape Charles)
Pirate (Hampton) [vintage; gone]
Stonewall Jackson (Lexington) [map]
Leif Erikson (Newport News)
Bigfoot Family (Pounding Mill) [map]
Atlas (Richmond)
Man Painting (Sterling)

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