Bamahenge: Alabama’s Fiberglass Stonehenge Replica
Bamahenge is a full-scale fiberglass replica of England’s prehistoric Stonehenge monument. It stands on the grounds of Barber Marina near Josephine, Alabama. Artist Mark Cline designed and built it at the request of marina owner George W. Barber.
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History
The idea for a Stonehenge replica in Alabama came from billionaire dairy magnate George W. Barber. In 1991, Barber commissioned Virginia artist Mark Cline to design and install seven life-size dinosaurs as “lawn ornaments” on his property. While repairing hurricane damage to these sculptures in 2006, Barber asked Cline to build a life-size Stonehenge replica. Originally, Barber intended to place it at his Vintage Motorsports Museum near Birmingham. By the time Cline began work in 2012, Barber had moved four dinosaurs to Barber Marina and decided to install Stonehenge there instead.
Cline briefly considered naming the work Fiberhenge but decided on Bamahenge instead.
Structure
Bamahenge is a full-scale replica of Stonehenge, measuring 21 feet tall and 104 feet across. Like Stonehenge, it is oriented so the sun rises over the center of three lintels on the outer markers during the summer solstice. Bamahenge is not an exact replica; it consists of four different shapes of fiberglass “stones” oriented differently. The pieces were designed so smaller ones could nest inside larger ones for transport from Cline’s Virginia studio to Alabama. It took four flatbed tractor-trailers to move them.
Given its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Bamahenge is in an active tropical storm and hurricane zone. Each “stone” is anchored by a wooden pole extending eight feet into the “stone” and underground. The lower part of the “stone” and a surrounding pit are filled with concrete to protect the work from high winds.
Access
Bamahenge is located 200 yards west of the access road to Barber Marina. A small parking area is at the head of the path to the monument. While closest to the unincorporated community of Josephine in Baldwin County, Alabama, Bamahenge is often associated with the larger nearby town of Elberta.
Sources: Wikipedia
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