Foamhenge

Foamhenge is a full-scale styrofoam replica of Stonehenge in Natural Bridge, Virginia. It was conceived and built by artist Mark Cline as a roadside attraction, and opened on April 1, 2004. Foamhenge was relocated to Centreville, Virginia in 2017.[1][2]

Foamhenge in 2006

Design and construction
Foamhenge at night

Foamhenge was created in 2004 by Mark Cline of Enchanted Castle Studios as an April Fool's Day stunt to generate tourism. The idea for Foamhenge came to Mark in 1998, when he was inspired by 16-foot-tall (4.9 m) foam blocks that he saw at a local insulation manufacturer. Mark had the concept and materials, but needed a location for his creation. In 2004, he made an agreement with The Natural Bridge for rent-free land with the intention of attracting tourists to both sites.[1]

Foamhenge is designed to match Stonehenge, with similarly sized pieces oriented in astronomically equivalent coordinates.[3] The 'stones' are composed completely of styrofoam and painted gray, weighing approximately 420 lbs. apiece.[4] They are stabilized with embedded 2.5-inch-diameter (6.4 cm) piping, extending from a concrete footing to the top of each stone. The entire structure was assembled in about ten days, as opposed to Stonehenge's construction period of about 1000 years.[1]

Popularity and move to northern Virginia

Foamhenge was created as a whimsical, temporary, passive roadside attraction and architectural folly, but its popularity sustained its legitimacy and purpose. Foamhenge lasted at the Natural Bridge site for over 12 years, well beyond Cline's expectations of 'a year or two.' By 2015, the foam pieces had deteriorated markedly due to the temporary nature of its construction and overexposure to the elements in a moderate climate. Many of the pieces had fallen into disrepair to the point that they had split apart and held together with temporary supports.[5]

The Natural Bridge became a state park in 2016, forcing Foamhenge to close. The structure was dismantled on August 30, 2016 and placed in storage at Cline's studio. After receiving over fifty inquiries from across the United States, an agreement was made to relocate Foamhenge to Cox Farms, a popular 116-acre (47 ha) family farm, near Centreville, VA, a suburb of Washington, D.C. After the pieces were repaired and repainted, they were moved and re-constructed, with help from an astronomer, for permanent display at Cox Farms. Foamhenge re-opened in time for the start of the farm's "Fall Festival' on September 16, 2017.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Foamhenge". Roadside America. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  2. Lohmann, Bill (August 29, 2016). "Foamhenge finds new home at Cox Farms in Fairfax County". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  3. Adamiak, Jessica; Jessica Su (August 30, 2011). "Kitschiest Roadside Attractions in America". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  4. Goessl, Leigh (September 8, 2017). "10 fun facts about 'Foamhenge' at Cox Farms". Things to See and Do in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  5. Harlan, Susan (August 25, 2015). "Foamhenge, Stonehenge's unholy twin, guards its mystery in byways of Virginia". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 October 2015.

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