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Where’s Morris? update on town icon
Published 5:59pm Monday, November 5, 2012A large sawhorse remains in place for Tryon’s beloved mascot months after Morris the Horse was “kidnapped” by fundraisers to be restored.
- The inside of Morris’ head displays how water damage had caused the icon to rot from the inside out. The extent of damage to the statue caused the entire thing to need to be rebuilt. (photo submitted)
Save Morris campaign chair Patti D’Arbanville said builders Chip O’Brien and Johnny Hipp are working diligently to return the horse to its home in the center of town.
“Doing good work takes a long time,” D’Arbanville said. “Everybody wants to return Morris and return him in the best shape. His return is eminent.”
D’Arbanville met with Tryon Town Manager Caitlin Martin Monday, Nov. 5 to discuss progress on the town icon.
“The pictures I saw today seem to show that he is almost done – it looks that he just needs painting. I’ve been assured that he will return soon,” Martin said.
Morris was taken from downtown Tryon in the middle of the night June 9. For weeks after, fundraisers submitted “ransom notes” and letters from Morris to encourage donations. The final fundraising push was held July 28.
Since then, Morris has been taken apart and rebuilt from the bottom up. Organizers originally said he would be returned Labor Day, but the work has taken longer than expected.
D’Arbanville said water damage from years of neglect caused the horse to rot from the inside out. When the layer of painted material was stripped away, the inside wood crumbled at the touch, she said.
“This is a complete and total rebuilding – structurally it was decrepit,” she added.
Tryon-area residents are beginning to get antsy awaiting Morris’ return in what is undoubtedly a busy tourist period for the town.
In a letter to the editor, Tryon resident Greer Prevatte had the following to say:
“Here we are in the midst of the most beautiful season we have here, when our roads are stopping places as well as thoroughfares for leaf-watchers, and we’re stuck still … with that sorry excuse of a sawhorse,” Prevatte said. “I think this has been handled very badly. Whoever (and that’s a big whoever, isn’t it?) has been contracted to repair this town treasure should make a public declaration of when Morris will be returned, a public apology for taking so long, and should too, perhaps, return to the town’s fund some of the rather exorbitant sum charged to do the work in the first place.”
D’Arbanville said she’d like to put together a booklet of photos to show what was discovered so town members can fully understand the process and work it took to build the horse.
She said right now the horse’s torso and head have been rebuilt with the fiberglass of the horse currently in the curing stage. She said this takes a progression of curing and sanding before the horse can be painted.
“It is a process,” she said. “Everybody is working as hard and as diligently as possible. I don’t want to give an exact date because there are too many factors – but where we are now is the final mile.”
A total of $17,693 was raised through fundraising efforts, Martin said. Exactly $12,000 went toward the reconstruction, she said, with $4,191 used to purchase fundraising materials such as T-shirts, posters and food for the silent auction. Martin said $1,501 remains in a town fund to provide for maintenance of the new Morris. Martin said she expects other fundraisers to occur as time goes on to replenish that fund as needed.
I thought the marketing was thoughtful and creative. The committee raised $17,000 in a few months in the midst of a horrible economy and with many abandoned buildings in downtown Tryon. Of course, what do I know???? I was never an exercise girl or a stall mucker!
Morris has not been restored since 1983. The two men who won the bid didn’t get to start on the work until the second week in August when there was enough money to buy supplies. It was never intended for Morris to return until the fall as the committee needed the summer to raise money. This is a complete make-over as the old wooden Morris was beyond repair. Those of you who are quick to criticize the committee and the people who are restoring Morris have had 20 years to do something about it yourself instead of waiting and criticizing those who stepped up to the plate. I am tired of all you “monday night quarterbacks” and your negative comments. Be thankful that some caring people took charge and that Morris is on his way to being whole again and back home. If you want the facts, visit the Tryon Town Council office and they will gladly give them to you.
Seems to be taking an awfully long time for Morris to come back to town. Why weren’t local artisans used? We have so much talent in this community. Many of these artisans would have gladly come together in an effort to rebuild Morris. Something reeks here…We want to see pictures. We want to see receipts. Why is it taking so long? Accountability…This rogue group needs to start answering to the great folks of Tryon!
It is probably not in my best interest to respond to this article. However, I’ll take my chances. #1: Bid process repeatedly referred to over the past 5 mths is/was non-existant. Factually, ‘bids’ as previously referenced respective to this ‘repair’ merely extend to 2 ‘off the cuff figures’ submitted 6 mths prior to Morris’s ‘kidnapping’. Of considerable interest is the ‘bid’ submitted by Bill Crowell for lifetime warrantied replacement dollar to dollar to current ‘repair’ with Bill’s bid entailing 1 mth turn around. #2:Prior articles/info disseminated have grossly misrepresented history of Morris’s repair timeline/costs. Sorry ‘Save Morris Committee” failed to get the facts. #3: Luxury homes are built inclusive of property grading in 5 (now possibly 6 or ???) mth turns. #4: Per Town Mng, last Thurs in TDDa Board Mtg, contractor(s) have been paid in full for over a mth. #5: Despite ‘questionable’ actions & conflicting ‘disclosure’ from the Town…. this was not a private venture or effort’. Checks for ‘items’ the Town’s disclosure shows as ‘donations’ vs. ‘sales’ (absolute fee) were made payable to ‘Town of Tryon’.
Very disheartening that Tryon has once more not acted professionally or prudently in contract negotiations. BOTTOM LINE: Tryon & those who participated in this half ass campaign deserve(d) better. We can all conveniently forget the ‘past’. JUST RETURN MORRIS NLT this Saturday for the Beerfest.
Are we talking about a wooden horse here??? And do we really think that having said wooden horse will cause shoppers to spend more time downtown???
Perhaps a better strategy would be for local business owners to either develop a more effective marketing strategy, or to offer a selection of goods (other than those related to a wooden horse) that will generate the amount of retail activity they desire. Blaming poor business receipts on the lack of a cultural landmark seems a bit misplaced in my opinion.
Interesting to see response from person not secure enough with themselves to use their name. None the less, I am a business owner & the only one selling Morris items. So, I guess the cowardly response, behind the veil, is personally directed. Factually never once have I or any other business owner, I’m aware of, tied the absence of Morris to our economical strength & or success. For the record however, my business receipts & turn of inventory defy national retail trends. I cherish the continued, invested support of the community of my shop & share in their enthusiasm in collecting Morris items. Salt of the earth folks who take pride in Morris are the backbone of Tryon.