Peachoid
Encyclopedia
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
in Gaffney
Gaffney, South Carolina
Gaffney is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is also sometimes referred to as the Peach capital of South Carolina. The population was 12,414 at the 2010 census...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that resembles a peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
. The water tower holds one million gallons of water and is located on Interstate 85
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
between exits 90 and 92 (near the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway
South Carolina Highway 11
The Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway winds its way through Upstate South Carolina. Following the southernmost peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the route is surrounded with peach orchards, quaint villages, and parks...
). Usually referred to by passing motorists as "The Peach" or "The Moon over Gaffney." The water tank is visible for several miles around these exits.
An example of novelty architecture
Novelty architecture
Novelty architecture is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes as a novelty, such as advertising, notoriety as a landmark, or simple eccentricity of the owner or architect. Many examples of novelty architecture take the form of buildings that...
, the Peachoid is one of the most recognizable landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
s on the part of I-85 connecting Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. A FATZ
FATZ
FATZ is a casual dining restaurant chain operated by Cafe Enterprises, Inc. which is headquartered in Taylors, South Carolina. It is a regional restaurant chain with locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. Unlike most chain restaurants, FATZ does not franchise...
restaurant is now located just east of the water tower, a prime location for publicity.
History
The Peachoid was built in 19811981 in architecture
The year 1981 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* JPMorgan Chase Tower, Houston, Texas designed by I. M. Pei is completed.* Sydney Tower in Sydney, Australia is completed and opened.* Colonius in Cologne, Germany is completed....
by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, of steel and concrete. An overlay stem and leaf were laid across the structure, an enormous "cleft" was created with steel paneling, and Peter Freudenberg, an artist who worked with macro-art, painted the structure to realistically pass for a peach.
The Peachoid was commissioned by the Gaffney Board of Public Works, who had a need for elevated water storage and wished to find a way of building it using federal funding. The shape of the peach was selected because the Gaffney economy was then dependent upon peach orchards, and because the people of the town wanted to make clear that South Carolina, and at one time, Cherokee County
Cherokee County, South Carolina
Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The county was formed in 1897 from parts of York, Union, and Spartanburg Counties. It is included in the Gaffney, South Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 United States Census, the county's...
alone, (where Gaffney is located) produced more peaches per year than the entire state of Georgia (known as the "Peach State"). Since its construction, the Peachoid's extremely high visibility has introduced an element of tourism to the local economy, and a smaller (500,000 gallons) peachoid has been built for Clanton
Clanton, Alabama
Clanton is a city in Chilton County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 7,800. The city is the county seat of Chilton County.-History:...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
The Peachoid has appeared as an oddity in films. In Lost in America
Lost in America
Lost in America is a 1985 comedy film directed by Albert Brooks that was co-written by Brooks with Monica McGowan Johnson. Brooks stars alongside Julie Hagerty.-Plot:...
, the travelers stumble across it.
Architectural details
The following gallery of pictures, together with the article's main picture, shows the Peachoid from different angles and at various points in its history. The first picture, taken from the air at around the time of construction in the 1980s, shows how the area is undeveloped, surrounded by fields. Later, a cafe and parking lot was built in the area behind the Peachoid. The second picture shows the Peachoid from this parking lot in 2005, showing the reverse (leafless) side of the Peachoid. The third picture, looking up the stem on the rear side, shows reflections from the lighting system, the painted word "GAFFNEY", and details of the metal rings around the stem. This picture also shows the protruding structure at the base of the peach. The article's main picture (above) completes this set of images, showing the Peachoid at night and clearly showing the cleft in the peach-shaped structure.It should be noted that many complain/jest that the structure, on the "cleft" side, is also representative of a human posterior.