Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue

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Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue
Giant sized smiling peanut, looking north - Smiling Peanut, South Side of Highway 49, Plains, Sumter County, GA HABS GA,131-PLAIN.V,2-1 (CT).tif
LocationPlains, Georgia, United States
TypeRoadside attraction
Height13 feet (4.0 m)

The Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue is a monument located in Plains, Georgia, United States. Built in 1976, the roadside attraction depicts a large peanut with a toothy grin, and was built to support Jimmy Carter during the 1976 United States presidential election.

History[]

The statue was commissioned by the Indiana Democratic Party during the 1976 United States presidential election as a form of support for Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter's campaign through that state.[1] The statue, a 13-foot (4.0 m) peanut, references Carter's previous career as a peanut farmer.[2] According to The New York Times, the statue is made of "wooden hoops, chicken wire, aluminum foil, and polyurethane".[3] The peanut features a grin, modeled after Carter's, which he was known for during the campaign.[1][4] The statue is the second-tallest statue of a peanut in the world, with the "World's Largest Peanut" located several miles away in Ashburn, Georgia.[4] The statue initially was located at the train station in Plains, but in 2000, it was damaged in a car wreck, and after repairs it was moved to an area along Georgia State Route 45,[1][2] near the Baptist church where Carter teaches Sunday school.[4] The statue features a large hole on its rear side, which, according to urban legend, was cut by the United States Secret Service to ensure there were no explosives or assassins in the statue.[5]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Rawlings, Nate (July 28, 2010). "Top 50 American Roadside Attractions". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Parker, Najja (June 3, 2018). "What to know about the Jimmy Carter Smiling Peanut". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  3. ^ Henderson, Nancy Bearden (January 5, 2003). "In Plains, Carter Is a Working Attraction". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Hunt, Emma (April 18, 2018). "Pump the brakes for these larger-than-life Southern landmarks". Atlanta. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  5. ^ "This Election Day, Let This Smiling Peanut Remind You of a Kinder Time in Politics". Slate. The Slate Group. November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

External links[]

Coordinates: 32°02′30″N 84°23′32″W / 32.04176°N 84.39228°W / 32.04176; -84.39228

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