Merritt Island Dragon, Concrete dragon sculpture at Dragon Point, Merritt Island, United States.
Merritt Island Dragon is a concrete sculpture positioned at the meeting point of Indian River and Banana River. The work stands roughly 65 feet long and 35 feet tall, constructed from concrete and steel reinforcement.
Built in 1971 by artist Lewis VanDercar and property owner Aynn Christal, the dragon was made from 20 short tons (18 t) of concrete and steel and stood 35 feet (11 m) high and 65 feet (20 m) long. In 1981, for new owner Warren McFadden, it was expanded with a tail, an extended neck, a caveman named Fred, a cavewoman named Wilma and four hatchlings: Joy, Sunshine, Charity and Freedom. In August 2002 a storm badly damaged the sculpture and part of it collapsed into the water, with vandalism blamed as a contributing cause.
The dragon's name, Annie, and the legend behind the site come from an American Indian tale that a dragon rising from the mist where the Banana and Indian Rivers meet signals good fortune. Children used the statue as a playhouse, and a 2003 children's book, River Dragon: A Real Florida Fairy Tale, retold the story. The southern tip of Merritt Island is still charted as Dragon Point.
The dragon no longer exists: it collapsed into the water in a storm in August 2002, and the Dragon Point site at 11680 Point Drive has stayed vacant since demolition work in March 2017. There is nothing to view from the shore or water, though NOAA charts still label the southern tip of Merritt Island "Dragon Point".
The dragon was built from 20 short tons (18 t) of concrete and steel. In 1981, owner Warren McFadden added a tail, an extended neck, a caveman named Fred, a cavewoman named Wilma, and four hatchlings: Joy, Sunshine, Charity and Freedom. The statue collapsed into the water during a storm in August 2002, with vandalism blamed as a contributing cause.
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