Frank’s Boundless Imagination
This metal beast can be seen in the yard of Joe and Esther Marion. It’s just one of many wonderful creations by sculptor, Frank Holder.
Frank Holder, 1931–2009
I never personally knew Frank Holder, but I’ve heard about him from my mother, and I’ve seen his wonderful handiwork. In fact, I see it every time I travel Highway 421 from Lewisville to Winston-Salem.
Just beyond the Lewisville/Williams Road exit on the right, at Joe’s Landscaping and Nursery, you can see some of Frank Holder’s big metal beasts, flowers and an unforgettable spider mailbox.
Taking photos of those sculptures had been on my mental list for a while, but I hadn’t gotten around to photographing them until yesterday. That’s because Frank Holder passed away earlier this week at the age of 78.
TO READ MORE about Frank Holder and to see more PHOTOS of his creations, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more on Frank Holder
Nissen Wagon Museum
The Nissen Wagon Museum, a nicely designed structure located at Shallowford Square, houses an original Nissen wagon. The wagon was built by the Nissen Wagon Company, which was begun by John P. Nissen in 1834. John’s son, George E. Nissen, later co-owned the business with his brother, William, and lived in the historic Nissen House in Lewisville, North Carolina.
The Nissen Wagon
Continuing on our history journey today, we’ll focus on the Nissen wagon. I think it’s reasonable to assume that many a Nissen wagon traveled the Great Wagon Road and crossed the Shallow Ford between the 1800s and the early 1900s (CLICK the preceding links to read my previous posts).
After all, by 1919 Nissen Wagon Works, as it was later named, was producing over 15,000 wagons per year, or about fifty wagons per day. The business was located in Waughtown, North Carolina (in the present-day Winston-Salem) and was operated by various members of the Nissen family from 1834 until 1925, when it was sold to F. B. Reamy for about one million dollars. Under new ownership, Nissen wagons continued to be produced until the 1940s, when the popularity of automobiles eclipsed demand for the wagons. [Source: StoppingPoints.com]
For further information on the Nissen wagon and to see additional photos, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more on the Nissen wagon
Reflections
For years I’ve regularly driven Highway 421 between Lewisville and Winston-Salem. On so many occasions, I looked over at the property of Joe’s Landscaping and Nursery and saw the sunlight creating a strikingly beautiful scene. Most often it was early morning light or late evening light that transformed portions of the property into nature’s works of art.
Whenever I observed those beautiful scenes, I’d typically experience a brief feeling of euphoria, followed by a tinge of emotional pain. Why the pain?
The pain has something to do with seeing a moment of beauty and wanting to capture and share it, but having to let go of that possibility, due to demands or circumstances. In this instance, a four-lane, rush-hour scenario was the foremost deterrent! Even though I knew pulling off the highway was not realistic, that still did not assuage the sense of loss that I felt.
Perhaps the desire to share the beauty one observes is common to those of us who are artists at heart. Whatever the reason for that desire, I think it’s in my DNA.
