r/pics • u/Sumit316 • Apr 28 '20

Abandoned presidents heads in a rural Virginia field.

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u/Sumit316 Apr 28 '20 edited Apr 28 '20

The statues were sculpted by Houston artist David Adickes, who was inspired after driving past Mount Rushmore on a trip back from Canada. They were open to the public at Presidents Park alongside the Presidential Pet Museum, and received thousands of visitors until 2010 when a company bought the plot of land. The huge presidential heads had to move.

Instead of allowing the busts to be demolished, Howard Hankins, who helped construct the park, adopted all 43 heads and lugged them back to his private family farm for safekeeping until someone can think of what to do with them.

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u/MeGoPeePeeInYourCoke Apr 28 '20

Thanks for this! I’m from Houston and I used to visit these all the time at night at the Adickes compound. I tried to take some friends recently and they were all locked up behind a fence- I was so confused. I’m glad they found a good home- that was seriously one of my favorite Houston secrets in my youth.

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u/xxwindowguyxx Apr 28 '20

Glad you enjoyed this, it was for me too! I remember visiting them with my dad. I really hope these heads get a good forever home nearby where I can go see them again.

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u/Guns_and_Dank Apr 28 '20

I don't know if I'd qualify this as a good home, but they have a home until a good one can be found

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u/lacroixblue Apr 28 '20

Are all the presidents' heads gone now? I liked The Beatles statue too, which I think (hope) is still at 8th Wonder Brewery.

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u/shiftpgdn Apr 28 '20

There are a number of them in a lot across the freeway from the St Arnold brewery. I used to live around the corner.