The two lambs stand at the feet of the large Fatima figure that stands atop a very tall pole at the center of what was once E.T. Wickham's central courtyard.
This site just gets your mind to turning about the once-upon-a-time newness of it all. Someone once said that a garden is the antithesis of nature - that man controls and remakes nature to his plan. But left to her own devices, Mother Nature has reclaimed this place, causing the lambs to grow wooly coats of moss.
In this area, without the reference of photos and commentary of it's history and intention, you are left to fill in the blanks...connect the dots. Some pieces are missing and some are simply missing limbs.
But in the end, E.T. Tanner's place is an awesome look into the mind and creations of a man driven by his passion.
If you want to visit, the park is located in north central Tennessee, outside of Clarksville.
Thanks for traveling along on the Farmers Wife Road Trip and Sixth Sense Tour!
4 comments:
I have read and appreciate all your excellent posts and photos about my Grandfather's statues. You really have an eye for great photos. I know full well the poor condition of the bull statue and you somehow managed to get a great shot of it.
I vividly remember the Fatima and Sundial complex. It its day it was quite impressive with the 30 foot high Fatima statue overlooking the lambs and praying children -- all surrounded by what was claimed to be the largest sundial in the world. On the outside of the sundial was the statue of the Virgin Mary crushing a snake along with the statue of Joseph and the Christ child. It really was quite a sight to see.
For anyone wishing to see how the statues looked in they heyday I would point them to my website http://wickhamstonepark.com
Thanks!! I tried to link to your site with no luck. Your grandfather created one of the premier folk art environments in North America. It was quite an accomplishment and his passion shows. My sister lived in Palmyra after your father died and her and a cousin visited often and tried to repair some damage. On this trip we tried to make our way through the heavy brush to the back of the property. She says there were more statues down by a stream....a bench and more figures. Without a machete it was impossible.
My grandfather Mr. Newt Nesbitt certainly knew E.T. Our cemetery is on Shiloh Canaan.
You have much to be proud of and you website is an awesome tribute. I'm happy to see that steps are being taken to preserve the remaining statues.
I guess you have to cook up your own html to get the hyperlink so here it is:
Wickham Stone Park
From the main page you can navigate to any of the statues for photos and descriptions.
I am fairly sure no statues are behind the old cabin. The Tecumseh and flagpole statues were at the side
but all the other statues were in front of the cabin. Many of the statues have been moved to a new location.
See the What's New page on my site for more information.
Thanks for the kind remarks.
The writer Michael Pollan says a garden is the intersection between nature and culture. Each tries to impose itself, but generally a compromise is reached.
When I look at your photos, part of me thinks that this "ancient civilization" appearance is how they should be appreciated.
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