Roadside Giants of the Lincoln Highway

During the early Lincoln Highway days, business owners could not believe how many automobiles were passing their businesses by.  Those entrepreneurs used creative marketing strategies to design quirky, oversized buildings to grab the attention of passing motorists.  Structures like Bedford County’s 2½ story Coffee Pot or the Shoe House in York, are great examples of this programmatic style of architecture, also known as Roadside Giants.

Funding for the Roadside Giant Project was one of 230 regional grant applications received, and one of only twelve projects chosen to be funded by The Sprout Fund of the Community Connections ~ Pittsburgh 250th group.  The Sprout Fund (founded in 2001) is a nonprofit organization supporting innovative ideas and grassroots community projects that are catalyzing change in Pittsburgh.  The LHHC identified five categories for students to choose from: vintage vehicle, recognizable historical figure, vintage bicycle, vintage gas pump, or a Lincoln Highway-era figure.  A structural engineer was hired to oversee the mechanics and installation of each Roadside Giant.

Community Committees were formed using members of the community near each school, and included local artists, business owners, and tourism promotion partners, who helped to advise the students as they worked on their project’s design.

Graphic Design and Drafting students created sketches of what they wanted their Giants to look like.  Welding students fabricated the Giants out of steel.  Students in the Building and Construction departments assisted with the installation and the transport of each giant.  At some schools, Horticulture students landscaped around the base of the giants.  Finally, as a sweet ending for a job well done, Culinary Arts students designed and baked super-sized cakes to resemble their school’s Giant.  The cakes and other refreshments were shared with school administrators and community members at each Community Celebration.

This project has helped the students to develop skills that are required in the workplace, such as teamwork, leadership, time management, problem solving, and communication skills.  It has proven to be a great way to involve the community, and have the students learn to work within a budget.

	Eastern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center in Latrobe, PA—1940s Bennett Gas Pump (25’ high and weighs over 4,900 lbs).  This Giant was installed at the future site of the Lincoln Highway Experience, in Ligonier Township at the intersection of Routes 30 West & 259 North.  The students chose the gas pump design because the installation site is the former home of Donato’s Filling Station (1930s-1940s).
	Somerset County Technology Center—Bicycle Built for Two (17’ high, and weighs over 1,800 lbs).  This Giant Bicycle is “riding high” at the intersection of Routes 30 and 219 near Jennerstown.  The owners of a local re-sale shop, Second Time Around, were happy to host this Giant on their property.  Students at this school wanted to recreate this design because of Somerset County’s many bike trails, like the popular Great Allegheny Passage.
	Bedford County Technical Center – Oversized quarter with George Washington’s profile (20’ diameter and weighs nearly one ton). The quarter was chosen due to Washington’s strong connections to Bedford County.  Washington stayed at the famous Espy House on Pitt Street, and often drank at the Fraser Tavern, commonly known as the Graystone, during the French & Indian War.  This Giant is installed at the entrance of Down River Golf Course, just east of Everett.
	Franklin County Career & Technology Center in Chambersburg, PA – 1921 Selden Apple Truck (10.5’ high weighing nearly 1 1/2 ton) Roadside fruit stands were bountiful in the early Lincoln Highway days, and Franklin County still has a strong connection to agriculture.  While it was easy to choose a vintage apple truck to replicate, it is the most complex of all of the designs.  Shatzer’s Fruit Market on Route 30 in Chambersburg graciously allowed the Giant to be installed on their property.
	Central Westmoreland Career & Technology Center in New Stanton, PA—1920s Packard Car with Driver (12 ft high). The City of Greensburg agreed to host this Giant at the site of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce, on Tollgate Hill Road off of Route 30, just West of Greensburg.

Keep checking your issue of our new e-newsletter, Lincoln Highway Happenings, for the latest photos from the Community Celebrations!  In case you aren’t signed up, click here to subscribe.