The famous Iron Horse has returned to its home along Highway 15 following extensive renovations carried out over the summer and fall. The sculpture, which is a popular destination for locals and tourists, was removed earlier this year for a series of preservation efforts.
The renovations were led by Amy Abbe, a sculptor and artwork conservator, who thoroughly assessed the state of the Iron Horse. After years of exposure to the elements, the steel structure required repairs to ensure its structural integrity.
The renovated Iron Horse on its way to reinstallation at its home on the Iron Horse Plant Sciences Farm. (Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
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.
“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 is painted in white primer before it receives its final black coat during the restoration process. (Peter Frey/UGA)
Workers also installed a concrete plaque near the sculpture that provides details about its history and how it came to reside in Greene County.
The Iron Horse was originally sculpted in 1954 by Abbott Pattison, a visiting artist-in-residence from Chicago who was working at UGA as part of a Rockefeller grant. He constructed the horse by welding together pieces of boilerplate steel.
Local artist and fabricator Donald Cope welds a new tail section on the Iron Horse sculpture during the restoration process. The tip of the tail rusted way due to contact with cement and dirt at its site outside of Watkinsville. (Peter Frey/UGA)
While the sculpture is now a beloved local attraction, it 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.
Patty Curtis and her daughter, Alice Hugel, generously gifted the sculpture and the land on which it sits to the university this year.
