August 5, 2002
The dragon on the southern tip of Merritt Island collapsed into
the Indian
River Lagoon, after years of surviving hurricanes, vandalism
and erosion. The
35-foot high, 65-foot long dragon named Annie has served as
a Brevard County
landmark for children and adults for more than 30 years. The
dragon crumbled
sometime last weekend into the point where the Banana River
and Indian River
lagoons meet.
Warren McFadden, Dragon Point's owner since 1981, didn't know
Annie was gone until a television reporter knocked on his door
and told him. Annie, named after the first landowner's wife,
had seen better days. The dragon was crafted from 20 tons of
concrete and steel by sculptor Lewis VanDercar in 1971. When
McFadden bought the property in 1981, he hired VanDercar to
add a curling tail, elongate the neck and add a caveman, cavewoman
and four hatchlings. They were named Joy, Sunshine, Charity
and Freedom. The dragon once had working electricity to light
tables, chairs, and stairs that led up to the nostrils. Looking
out the nostrils, visitors could watch the sun rise and set.
Parts of Annie now lay on the coquina rock that helped preserve
it from waves. Most of the dragon is in the water. McFadden
mostly blames vandals for the dragon's demise. Its position
on the point made it susceptible to people wielding sledgehammers
and spray cans. "We're in a new world today. I don't know
what kick they get out of it," McFadden said. "It's
very sad the world we live in today." McFadden said he
bought Dragon Point because it is one of the few places in the
world like it. McFadden moved to Brevard from Fort Lauderdale.
"You could never replace that. VanDercar is dead,"
McFadden said. Although no one is sure when the dragon succumbed,
Satellite Beach resident Ruth Blow said some people saw it Sunday.
On Independence Day, smoke would come out of the dragon's nose
and fire out
of its mouth. "I'm glad I didn't see it fall into the water.
I don't think I could have taken that," Blow said.
Taken from an article in
Floridatoday.
Links:
http://www.schmidtfamily.com/dragon_point.htm
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php3?tip_AttractionNo==269
http://www.polkonline.com/stories/080702/sta_dragon.shtml
