Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 22
Judge Lets 2 Fruit Statues Stay on Ellicott City Main Street
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 22

Judge Lets 2 Fruit Statues Stay on Ellicott City Main Street

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 22

Summary

  • A judge ruled last week that Ellicott City’s peach and eggplant statues can remain on Main Street, rejecting an effort to force their removal.
  • The dispute began after the Historic Preservation Commission said the oversized sculptures distracted from the town’s historic buildings and drew sexual innuendo complaints.
  • Paula Dwyer, owner of Georgia Grace Cafe near the peach statue, said supporters flooded petitions and celebrated after the court found the commission lacked authority because its guidelines did not cover public art.
  • The fight over the two statues has become a small but heated local debate over how a historic district balances preservation rules with playful new public art.

Insights

After the peach sculpture ruling, will new laws redefine what art is acceptable in historic towns?
A judge found a loophole for Ellicott City's controversial art. What does this mean for other historic districts?