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’ Ollis Simpson and his work took cen ter stage, deserv edly, on Friday as a major announce ment was made regarding Wilson’s development and cultural landscape. Simpson, a treasured fix ture in Wilson County and ‘beyond, has agreed to have his whirligigs relocated from the pasture on his Lucama ‘farm to a two-acre lot in downtown Wilson, where “organizers expect it to fuel ‘great things in the future. The giant windmills will become the centerpiece of the Wallis Simpson Whirligig Park. Simpson is 91. He says this project will help with the preservation and resto ration of his work. Keeping everything maintained has become more and more of a challenge to this hard-work ing man. And these works should be preserved for fu ture generations to enjoy. In a way, Simpson’s work is his gift to Wilson. By increas ing its visibility, he could spark further development of downtown Wilson and beyond. The whirligigs are powered by wind. And they have an undeniable power them selves, one organizers hope to harness for the good of all That is quite a gift. The Simpson family made the agreement to sell the whirligigs with Wilson Downtown Properties. We share the hope of those behind this project. We're pleased these works will be restored and protected for folks to enjoy for genera tions. Certainly there’s some risk involved in this project. There’s risk involved in get ting out of bed in the morn ing. There will also be folks who question moving these works from their longtime home in Lucama. We believe this is a for ward-thinking project, one that looks years down the road. Organizers seek to protect these treasures and to help the community as a whole at the same time. We believe that’s a wise in vestment.
Newspaper Details
Wilson Times
Wilson, North Carolina, US
Sat, May 22, 2010
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Tracey B.
NC, USA 21 Jun 2026
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