March of the President Heads

Pearland, Texas is set to celebrate the official opening of the Waterlights District Presidential Park and Gardens in September 2009. Internationally known sculptor, David Adickes visited Mount Rushmore and came away with the inspiration to create presidential busts larger than life but small enough for people to get close enough to see. The result of his inspiration is a presidential park where all 43 presidential busts will eventually be erected. The park will have interactive features on American history, and room has been planned for every future president into the next century.

The Waterlights District is a planned urban development that includes retail shopping and restaurants combined with upscale residential living plus office space and a public park. The $600 planned community is located fifteen minutes from downtown Houston and is expected to become a well known tourist attraction. The WaterLights District includes The Restaurant Row, Grand Canal™ and Presidential Park™. Restaurant Row will have ten upscale restaurants with a view of the Presidential Park™ and president busts. The Waterlights District will offer a rich combination of entertainment options.

The internationally known sculptor, David Adickes also created the 67 foot tall statue of Sam Houston located in Huntsville, Texas as well as the 60 foot statue of Stephen F. Austin located a few miles away in Brazoria County. It took Adickes six years to carve the 18-20 foot busts of every American president. The bust of the current president, Barack Obama was recently unveiled in February on President’s Day. After a 30 city tour of the country that includes stops in Austin, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Deadwood, South Dakota the bust will join the other 42 presidents in Presidential Park in Pearland.

Presently six of the president heads are on display and are easily viewed when driving on Highway 288 South in Pearland, Texas. Although only the six presidents are displayed they present a glorious image immediately catch your attention as you pass. They are well lit and really show well in the darkness. Voters in an online poll chose the first presidents to be displayed at this location. They are Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Houston native George H.W. Bush.

While these busts are truly an amazing work of art I must admit that I did not recognize George H.W. Bush. I found the experience quite overwhelming as stood in the presence of the presidents and look forward to visiting the exhibit when it is complete.

Pearland is a fast growing suburb of downtown Houston with a population of a little over 90,000. It is an hour drive to the coast as you continue south on Highway 288. The addition of the Waterlights District and the Presidential Park™ should be a welcome boon to the local economy that is in the heart of the Birthplace of Texas. The area is rich in historical significance and is worth visiting. Descendants of “the Old Three Hundred” original family settlers under Stephen F. Austin’s original Spanish charter still live in the Pearland and Brazoria County area today.