The South Carolina
"Peachoid" Water Tower
[attachment 26079 peach2.gif]
As seen from the air above Gaffney, South Carolina (the beginning of the scenic road)
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PEACHOID
It began late one night when the staff of the Gaffney Board of Public Works was working way too late. A water study had pointed out that the town needed a new elevated water storage tank and the staff was wondering over ways to get Uncle Sam to pay for it. In a half-jesting moment, Dick Crater, who at the time was Board Manager, said the immortal words that inspired a town, "Let's build it in the shape of a Peach!" Slowly the idea grew and captured the imagination of the Board members and then the denizens of the town. Boy, did it!
It took five months to design and mold the steel for the project. A foundation containing 10 million pounds of concrete had to be poured. One and one half miles of welds had to be made, requiring that welding rods had to be delivered to the site by the ton. A stem 12 feet long and 18 inches in diameter was added to the top. A huge leaf, 60 feet long, 16 feet wide, and weighing 7 tons was applied to one side. A huge cleft along the entire height of the "peach" was created through false work steel paneling applied to the sphere of the tank. A nipple was added to the bottom of the tank to complete the imagery madness in 1981.
[attachment 26093 peachbutt.jpg]
The classic cleft of the peach, as seen above, was to cause some unforeseen problems in the next decade, however. At first, the Peachoid was merely painted a solid "peach" color. But the Gaffney civic authorities were soon forced to order that the Peachoid water tower be repainted in the early 1990's.
It seemed there was a distinct image issue that was becoming less than "funny." The repainting was so it would look less like a big butt, thus reducing the sudden increase of rubbernecking accidents and fatalities on nearby I-85. Below you see how the Peachoid is easily seen from the road...more easily than the upcoming curves, it would seem.
[attachment 26083 peachfromhwy.JPG]
Of course, it MAY be "safer" to look at today, but from the right angle, the one-million gallon watersphere STILL looks like a bright orange butt...as you can easily see below!
[attachment 26078 peach.gif]
A local artist, Peter Freudenburg, who specialized in super-graphics, murals and wildly outrageous public works projects, was hired to paint the tank in colors matching the types of peaches grown in the area after workers painted the base coat. Peter spent days studing the local peaches. Fifty gallons of paint, combined to make more than 20 colors, were used in the final project. The Peachoid was at last, complete. The land surrounding the Peachoid has recently been made into a park.
[attachment 26081 Peachpainting.jpg]
By the way, are you curious as to how they got the Federal government
to pay for this needed water tower/ turned art project? According to official literature, Cherokee County (Gaffney is the county seat) alone, produces more peaches per year than the entire state of Georgia! The Peachoid, besides providing sorely needed local pressurized water, boldly "set the official record straight as to just which state is the BIGGEST peach producer in the South." Contrary to popular belief, "it is NOT Georgia, never has been Georgia and never will be Georgia!" 
Note: California and even Texas now produces more peaches in the country than South Carolina, but we're still proud to hold the title in the South.
Now, while one might think that only one community would choose to grace an interstate highway with a water tower that is shaped like a fruit, you're wrong! After the Peachoid was built, the city fathers of Clanton, Alabama decided that their town would not be complete without a peach-shaped water tower of their very own. The Clanton tower is located along 1-65 around 50 miles south of Birmingham. It is half the size of Gaffney's, holding only 500,000 gallons of water.
[attachment 26082 clantonala.jpg]
Tell us all something "odd" to be seen near YOU should we ever visit!!!
.
.
"Peachoid" Water Tower
[attachment 26079 peach2.gif]
As seen from the air above Gaffney, South Carolina (the beginning of the scenic road)
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PEACHOID
It began late one night when the staff of the Gaffney Board of Public Works was working way too late. A water study had pointed out that the town needed a new elevated water storage tank and the staff was wondering over ways to get Uncle Sam to pay for it. In a half-jesting moment, Dick Crater, who at the time was Board Manager, said the immortal words that inspired a town, "Let's build it in the shape of a Peach!" Slowly the idea grew and captured the imagination of the Board members and then the denizens of the town. Boy, did it!
It took five months to design and mold the steel for the project. A foundation containing 10 million pounds of concrete had to be poured. One and one half miles of welds had to be made, requiring that welding rods had to be delivered to the site by the ton. A stem 12 feet long and 18 inches in diameter was added to the top. A huge leaf, 60 feet long, 16 feet wide, and weighing 7 tons was applied to one side. A huge cleft along the entire height of the "peach" was created through false work steel paneling applied to the sphere of the tank. A nipple was added to the bottom of the tank to complete the imagery madness in 1981.
[attachment 26093 peachbutt.jpg]
The classic cleft of the peach, as seen above, was to cause some unforeseen problems in the next decade, however. At first, the Peachoid was merely painted a solid "peach" color. But the Gaffney civic authorities were soon forced to order that the Peachoid water tower be repainted in the early 1990's.
It seemed there was a distinct image issue that was becoming less than "funny." The repainting was so it would look less like a big butt, thus reducing the sudden increase of rubbernecking accidents and fatalities on nearby I-85. Below you see how the Peachoid is easily seen from the road...more easily than the upcoming curves, it would seem.
[attachment 26083 peachfromhwy.JPG]
Of course, it MAY be "safer" to look at today, but from the right angle, the one-million gallon watersphere STILL looks like a bright orange butt...as you can easily see below!
[attachment 26078 peach.gif]
A local artist, Peter Freudenburg, who specialized in super-graphics, murals and wildly outrageous public works projects, was hired to paint the tank in colors matching the types of peaches grown in the area after workers painted the base coat. Peter spent days studing the local peaches. Fifty gallons of paint, combined to make more than 20 colors, were used in the final project. The Peachoid was at last, complete. The land surrounding the Peachoid has recently been made into a park.
[attachment 26081 Peachpainting.jpg]
By the way, are you curious as to how they got the Federal government
to pay for this needed water tower/ turned art project? According to official literature, Cherokee County (Gaffney is the county seat) alone, produces more peaches per year than the entire state of Georgia! The Peachoid, besides providing sorely needed local pressurized water, boldly "set the official record straight as to just which state is the BIGGEST peach producer in the South." Contrary to popular belief, "it is NOT Georgia, never has been Georgia and never will be Georgia!" Note: California and even Texas now produces more peaches in the country than South Carolina, but we're still proud to hold the title in the South.
Now, while one might think that only one community would choose to grace an interstate highway with a water tower that is shaped like a fruit, you're wrong! After the Peachoid was built, the city fathers of Clanton, Alabama decided that their town would not be complete without a peach-shaped water tower of their very own. The Clanton tower is located along 1-65 around 50 miles south of Birmingham. It is half the size of Gaffney's, holding only 500,000 gallons of water.
[attachment 26082 clantonala.jpg]
Tell us all something "odd" to be seen near YOU should we ever visit!!!
.
.