Headless historical figures and ghostly bulls stand along two rural roads in Palmyra, Tennessee. These sculptures are the handiwork of Enoch Tanner Wickham, known as “Tanner” or “Tank” to his friends and family. Wickham was a self-taught folk artist who created life-size cement statues from 1950 until his death in 1970. I’d wanted to see these guys for years and, even though what’s left is very different from the colorful and complete sculptures Wickham made decades ago, they are well worth the road trip. Don’t forget to check out the Wickham family cemetery!
E.T. Wickham
Born in 1882, E.T. Wickham spent most of his life as a tobacco farmer, raising nine children. It wasn’t until 1950, at the age of 67, that Wickham decided to try his hand at sculpture. His first statue was the Virgin Mary crushing a snake underfoot. Over the next two decades, he crafted more than 30 statues from cement, chicken wire, and rebar, paying tribute to a range of American figures from Tecumseh, Daniel Boone, and the Kennedy brothers. He also memorialized his son, who died in World War II, and sculpted a self-portrait of himself riding a giant bull (I read the bull originally had glowing red lightbulb eyes and a red lightbulb butthole!). I’m a big fan of self-taught outsider artists, and especially those who got a later start on their art, so E.T. Wickham is an inspiration, an American folk art treasure. It makes me kinda hopeful about entering my next phase of life.
Wickham’s Sculptures Today
Time, weather, and vandals have not been kind to Wickham’s statues. It would be amazing to have seen the complete, colorfully painted figures back in the day, but it’s still super cool to see their haunting remains. Despite the damage, the statues look right at home in a Tennessee field. There’s nothing quite like looking out at a line-up of disembodied legs, two headless men shaking hands, and horses with partial riders. These pieces are definitely what my friend would call a “see-it-before-it’s-gone” situation.
Where to Go
There are a few spots to see E.T. Wickham’s work with the statues split between two locations:
- Original Site — 2035 Buck Smith Hill Rd, Palmyra, TN 37142: About five statue fragments remain on Buck Smith Hill Road, between Shiloh Canaan Road and Oak Ridge Road. These are the last pieces still standing where Wickham originally placed them.
- Relocated Pieces — 3915 Oak Ridge Rd, Palmyra, TN 37142: In 2003, some of Wickham’s statues were moved a few hundred feet down Oak Ridge Road to protect them from further vandalism.
Wickham Cemetery
After you’ve checked out the statues, drive over to Wickham Road to see the family cemetery. Many of the headstones are crafted by Wickham, including his own angel gravestone. You should also head over to the Southern Cemetery blog where my friend, Jen, shares a great Wickham post.
Address: Wickham Cemetery, Wickham Rd, Palmyra, TN 37142
Although much of Wickham’s work has suffered from neglect, some pieces have found safer homes. Several of his statues, including one of former Tennessee governor Austin Peay, were moved to the art museum at Clarksville’s Austin Peay State University to ensure their preservation.
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