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Eggplant, giant peach sprouting controversy in Maryland town
Merchants, led by Don Reuwer, have gathered hundreds of signatures and plan to appeal the commission's removal order for two large fruit sculptures on Main Street.
- On September 15, 2025 the Historic Preservation Commission ordered the peach and eggplant sculptures on Main Street, Ellicott City, Maryland, must come down, but merchants and supporters resist removal.
- Installed several months ago as part of the Fund for Art in Ellicott City, some residents and the Historic Preservation Commission say oversized fruit distracts from Main Street, Ellicott City's historic architecture.
- Supporters including Don Reuwer, president of Waverly Real Estate Group, said he collected signatures and criticized the chairperson for dismissing petitions, stating, 'Unfortunately, the chairperson told me that they weren't interested in the petitions that actually said that the merchants are only temporary, so they don't matter.'
- Supporters of the sculptures say they will appeal and may pursue circuit court action, but the sculptures' fates remain uncertain as approvals have not been secured by local businesses on Main Street.
- Local merchants argue the sculptures add character and attract visitors, saying the towering fruit have helped bring in customers and visitors embrace their playful, cheeky dimension on Historic Main Street.
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26 Articles
Dirty Minds: Giant Eggplant And Peach Statues Draw Controversy In One Small Town
Some prudish folks in Ellicott City, Maryland, have caused a fuss about eggplant and peach statues they claim are making them a little hot under the collar. Naughty Fruit: For those into a little bit of suggestive texting, the peach and eggplant emojis have certain connotations. I won’t go into it too much, but anyone with a dirty enough mind will surely be able to glean what they mean. They say a picture tells a thousand words, but these emojis…
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Total News Sources26
Leaning Left0Leaning Right2Center23Last UpdatedBias Distribution92% Center
Bias Distribution
- 92% of the sources are Center
92% Center
C 92%
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