GREENE COUNTY, Ga. — A landmark that is synonymous with the University of Georgia is back home in Greene County after a bit of a facelift.
The Iron Horse is now back at its home along Highway 15 “following extensive renovations carried out over the summer and fall.”
The statue was removed in May to be restored “after years of exposure to the elements.”
“Work began on the 12-foot, 2-ton sculpture when it was removed from its concrete base and taken to Abbe’s workshop. Workers cleaned the sculpture, removed corrosion, and reinforced joints. It also received a fresh coat of black paint,” UGA said in a news release Friday.
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“We are grateful to everyone who made the renovation of the Iron Horse possible,” said Dean of Students Eric Atkinson. “All of this work will help ensure that the Iron Horse will be enjoyed for many years to come.”
The Iron Horse was originally created in 1954 by a visiting artist-in-residence named Abbott Pattison, and it is made up of welded pieces of boilerplate steel.
Despite being a bit of a tourist attraction, the Iron Horse was originally met with derision from students when it was installed on campus.
“The university allowed L.C. Curtis of UGA’s Horticulture Department to move the statue to his farm in Greene County, about 25 miles south of Athens. The Curtis family later sold their property to the university, and it is now home to the Iron Horse Plant Sciences Farm,” UGA said.
Patty Curtis and her daughter, Alice Hugel, have now gifted the sculpture and the land it sits on to the university this year.
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