BIG CITY GETAWAY

Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY

THE VOLLIS SIMPSON WHIRLIGIG PARK & MUSEUM 301 GOLDSBORO ST S, WILSON, NC 27893 252-674-1352 • wilsonwhirligigpark.org

You nd the darndest things wandering this beautiful country of ours. When needs nd you traveling on an interstate to get from point A to B, make sure you take the time to stop at the state visitor’s centers. They certainly vary, from just a place to make a pit stop to one that may require a bit more time to explore.

Thus was the case on our most recent trip south this winter. Unfortunately we had done this route before simply to make the most of the time at our destination. And we had stopped at this visitor’s center each time we passed. In the front of the North Carolina visitor’s center is a very unusual sculpture. It is reminiscent of the windmills seen on farms in the Midwest only with much more whimsy. We inquired inside and were informed that this was created by Vollis Simpson and there was a whole park full of them in Wilson, North Carolina – well worth a stop, we were told. With that information tucked away, along with a ton of booklets and brochures on all parts of North Carolina (it really is a remarkable visitor’s center), we headed for a visit with our cousins Maureen and John in Clayton. Always a great time spent with family, during our conversation this sculpture came up and Maureen adamantly said, ‘Oh, you must go! It’s on your way.’ With a double resounding recommendation, the next morning we pointed our wheels toward Wilson, NC for a visit with Mr. Simpson’s creations.

Vollis Simpson, born into the Depression/WWII era in 1919, had the traits of that generations – industriousness, frugality and creativity. The Simpson family side business was moving houses – an unusual occupation which used techniques of fulcrum, leverage and rollers and went from horse power to automotive. Serving in the Army Air Corps, he put his mechanical skills to use by rigging a windmill to power a washing machine, as the troops were struggling to keep uniforms clean on the isolated island of Saipan in the South Paci c. When he returned to his home in Lucama, North Carolina, he worked as a rigger and farm machine repairman. When he retired at age 65, he turned his mechanical skills towards artwork and created giant, kinetic, wind-driven sculptures which he installed around the pond on his farm, 11 miles outside of Wilson. He

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worked on these sculptures seven days a week until about six months before his death at the age of 94 in 2013.

Word spread and people came to wonder at these whimsical creations which, very soon, became the top tourist attraction in the county. The name ‘whirligig’ was attached and the rest, as they say, is history. As his health declined he was not able to do the maintenance required to keep these beautiful works of art – made of recycled industrial parts – safe and working after thirty years of rain, sun and hurricanes. It was feared that they would fall into disrepair and obscurity but in 2010, a plan was announced to create the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park so that future generations might enjoy and wonder at these giant creations.

The Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park & Museum purchased and conserved the whirligigs from his farm and relocated them to a 2-acre community park in Historic Downtown Wilson. They have been dubbed the of cial Folk Art of North Carolina. Vollis Simpson saw the rst of his creations installed before his passing. There are now thirty of these kinetic wonders placed here, the largest collection in the world. The Green, a grass amphitheater, is reference to the Simpson’s pond around which the whirligigs were originally built. In addition, the space contains a stage where various concerts and performances take place and the rows of concrete and garden squares, mimicking rows of crops and long lines of tobacco, pay homage to Wilson’s heritage of agriculture.

We spent much longer than we thought staring up at these tremendous creations, with themes of farming, transportation and entertainment. We were lucky to have a wind coming through to bring them all to life. While they all brought smiles, what brought more was watching the looks of the children seeing these in motion. Although we were there during daylight, apparently a night visit illuminates the thousands of re ectors on the whirligigs.

We crossed the street and took in the museum, which tells more about Vollis Simpson as well as giving an up-close look at how these amazing sculptures work. Of course, it’s a gift shop as well to pick up a souvenir of your visit.

There are plenty of eateries in downtown Wilson, as well as the Freeman Round House Museum and Wilson Botanical Gardens. Several festivals take place during the year so take a look at explorewilson.com and plan a visit the next time you are heading that way – you won’t be disappointed and we guarantee you’ll come away with a smile. ,