Free Wheel - Cherry Hill, NJ
N 39° 55.617 W 075° 01.787
18S E 497455 N 4419649
This exact replica was created by the same artist who designed our local and quite famous sculpture.l. The replica or small one is located in the front entrance of our municipal building and the large on is at our NRHP site @ Croft Farm.
Waymark Code: WM47VT
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 07/19/2008
Views: 27
If you really want to visit this waymark, look at the coordinates on Google Earth and that is EXACTLY where the replica is located. Walk in the front entrance. The front entrance is not on Mercer Street but on the far side
Large Sculpture:
This is Cherry Hill's first public sculpture & speaks to our cultural heritage as an agrarian town. It's located on historic Croft Farm & is located near a dozen other waymarks. The key (see picture) is symbolic of the importance of old industry.
Both sculptures depicts a giant wheel which was typical of the various cogs and wheels employed in our mill industry. In our town hall, as soon as you come in the back doors (which are actually the front doors) you will see a smaller version of this sculpture. The artist explains that before he renders the large version, he always make a smaller scale version first.
Created entirely of steel, the sculpture stands at 10 feet 8 inches high and weight more than 6,500 pounds. The process to create the piece from raw metal into a work of art was considerable, and there were obstacles and challenges to be dealt with almost every step of the way.
Our mayor, and Masonic lodge brother of mine, Bernie Platt, our town council, the artist (Peter Trout Gard) and members of the Cherry Hill Arts Advisory Board Sculpture Committee dedicated Free Wheel on October 26, 2003. It stands as an enduring reminder of the significance of Cherry Hill history.
Miniature:
The plaque at the miniature reads:
"Croft Farm Sculpture Maquette
Note from the artist:
Creating a maquette (model) such as this one is a critical step in the fabrication of large scale sculpture. At roughly 1/5 the size of the final piece this version is a three-dimensional translation of my sketches and vision. Working small allows me to realize details and proportions that must be understood before going full scale. Standing nearly 10 feet tall the finished sculpture will find its home on Croft Farm, 100 Borton Mill Road - where it was conceived.
- Peter Trout Gard, 2003