Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue

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.

Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue
LocationPlains, Georgia, United States
TypeRoadside attraction
Height13 feet (4.0 m)

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. Rawlings, Nate (July 28, 2010). "Top 50 American Roadside Attractions". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  2. 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. The New York Times Company. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  4. 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.

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