Atlanta GA The Big Chicken Marietta Georgia Landmark Architectural Art
by Reid Callaway
Title
Atlanta GA The Big Chicken Marietta Georgia Landmark Architectural Art
Artist
Reid Callaway
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Atlanta GA The Big Chicken.......By Reid Callaway
Marietta Georgia Landmark Architectural Art
This is one of Atlanta's (Marietta) Georgia most famous landmarks and known affectionally as "The Big Chicken"! If you have not heard about this famous restaurant before, you have now. The Big Chicken was remodeled again in 2016-2017 and no longer looks like this. Oh, the "Big Chicken" is still there for sure but the insides have been updated. You can't buy these kind of "God Given" beautiful clouds found in this image! See my other images, both in color and B&W of the Big Chicken to compare the changes. Buy this image or others like it, for "The Big Chicken" KFC lover in your life!
Enjoy the story and history below.
The Big Chicken is a KFC restaurant in Marietta, Georgia, which features a 56-foot-tall (17 m) steel-sided structure designed in the appearance of a chicken rising up from the top of the building. It is located at the city's biggest intersection of Cobb Parkway (U.S. 41/Georgia 3) and Roswell Road (Georgia 120) and is a well-known landmark in the area. Constructed in 1956, it was rebuilt following storm damage in 1993.
History....
The restaurant was built in 1956 at 12 Cobb Parkway, on the newly constructed stretch of Highway 41, the first divided highway in Cobb County. Taking advantage of the prime location on the new and quicker route for travelers on U.S. 41, Johnny Reb's Chick, Chuck and Shake owner S. R. "Tubby" Davis erected the 56-foot (17-meter) tall structure over his restaurant in 1963 as a method of advertising. The novelty architecture was designed by Hubert Puckett, a Georgia Tech student of architecture, and fabricated by Atlantic Steel in nearby Atlanta (of which Marietta is a suburb). Davis later sold it to his brother, and it became a franchise of KFC.
In January 1993, storm winds damaged the structure, and rather than tear it down KFC was forced by public outcry to re-erect the building. Among those who complained about the Big Chicken being torn down were pilots, who actually used the building as a reference point when approaching Atlanta and Dobbins Air Reserve Base. The new Big Chicken even includes the original design of beak and eyes which move, although this time the vibrations which plagued the first structure (even to the point of breaking windows) have been eliminated. Pieces of the original structure were sold to collectors as souvenirs. In early April 2006, the structure narrowly escaped a small eastward-moving nighttime tornado, which overturned a tractor-trailer at a Kmart across the street, and damaged another building nearby.
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Comments, Likes and Favorites are appreciated... :-)
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November 4th, 2015
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Comments (23)
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Cartersville, GA for the purchase of my image, "The Big Chicken" printed on a Coffee Mugs - Large (15 oz.)! May this image and your Coffee Mug be a Blessing and bring back wonderful memories of The Big Chicken for years to come! 2/6/2023
Reid Callaway
Thank you Kathi for admiring my artwork and for making this image one of your personal Favorites! "Soli Deo Gloria" 12/26/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Marietta, GA for the purchase of my image, "The Big Chicken" printed on a Sticker - 2" x 2"! May this image and your Sticker be a Blessing and bring back awesome memories of The Big Chicken for years to come! 12/24/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Kennesaw, GA for the purchase of my image, "The Big Chicken" printed on (5) Coffee Mugs - Large (15 oz.)! May this image and your Coffee Mugs be a Blessing and bring back special memories of The Big Chicken for years to come! 12/2/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Moncks Corner, SC. for the purchase of my image, "The Big Chicken" printed on (2) Coffee Mugs - small (11oz)! May this image and your Coffee Mugs be a Blessing and bring back wonderful memories of The Big Chicken for years to come! 5/9/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Marietta, GA for the purchase of my image, “The Big Chicken” printed on a Puzzle - 18" x 24" (500 Pieces)! May this image and your Puzzle be a Blessing to you for many years to come! 2/10/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you Frozen In Time for featuring my artwork in our group.... Your Very Best Photography! 2/9/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you Christopher James for featuring my artwork in our group.....1000 Views! 2/5/2022
Christopher James
One of your peers nominated this image in the 1000 views Groups Special Features #20 promotion discussion. Please help your fellow artists by visiting and passing on the love to another artist in the the 1000 Views Group....L/F/Tw
Reid Callaway
Thank you Judy Vincent for featuring my artwork in our group... USA Photographers! 2/3/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you Beverly for admiring my artwork and for making this image one of your personal Favorites! 2/3/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Marietta, GA for the purchase of my image, “The Big Chicken” printed on a Puzzle - 20" x 28" (1,000 Pieces)! May this image and your Puzzle be a Blessing to you for many years to come! 2/2/2022
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Kennesaw, GA for the purchase of my image, "The Big Chicken" printed on (4) Coffee Mugs - Small (11 oz.)! May this image and your Coffee Mugs be a Blessing to you and bring back wonderful memories of "the former Big Chicken" for many years to come! 12/8/2021
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Kennesaw, GA for the purchase of my image, "The Big Chicken" printed on (2) Coffee Mugs - large (15oz)! May this image and your Coffee Mugs be a Blessing to you and bring back wonderful memories of The Big Chicken for years to come! 6/6/2021
Reid Callaway
Thank you Frozen in Time Fine Art Photography for featuring my artwork in our group... Hodge Podge! 7/15/2020
Reid Callaway
Thank you to the buyer from Alexandria, VA for the purchase of my image, "The Big Chicken" printed on a Baby Royal Blue Onesie - Small! May this image and your little one's Onesie be a Blessing to you and bring back wonderful memories of this time in your babies life! 7/14/2020
Reid Callaway
Thank you Dan Marinescu for featuring my artwork in our group... Premium FAA Artists! 3/4/2016
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