Giant Peanut Monument

Turner County, Georgia is proud of its peanuts. Steeped in history, a flagship industry, and of course delicious, the peanut is something of a celebrity in this rural locale.

And with good reason. Peanuts are the county’s largest and most important agricultural product, and have been for as long as anyone around can remember. Thus the need for a truly inspiring–or at least notable–monument to this tiny legume with a big impact.

Constructed in 1975, the monument was dedicated to Nora Lawrence Smith, a local journalist and citizen organizer who dedicated her life to the local community. It was also a tribute to the communities greatest product.

This massive peanut has also survived the times. In 2018, the monument was damaged by Hurricane Michael and only the brick base was left standing. It took nearly five years before the peanut was restored to glory thanks to the Ashburn-Turner County Chamber of Commerce, who raised around $80,000 to restore the peanut. The massive nut took 800 hours to build, weighs around 5,000 pounds, and stands well over 40 feet tall.

A fitting tribute to the region’s rich history of farming and the peanut.