Cornel West is back on the presidential ballot in Virginia, despite a new state law that had appeared to disqualify a dozen of his electors if he won his longshot bid for the White House.
Howard Hankins owns 42 presidential heads that would be the centerpiece of a development he envisions on his property in James City County near the Croaker exit off Interstate 64. New tours at The Ruines at Hankins Folly will kick off Memorial Day weekend.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
Howard Hankins’ job was to demolish the presidential heads, including Abraham Lincoln’s, and haul the debris away to make room for the next tenant at the old Presidents Park, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, so he took them away intact.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
The concrete-and-metal busts, created by Houston artist David Adickes, originally were the heart of Presidents Park, an attraction near Water Country USA that opened in 2004. However, the park experienced financial problems and was closed in 2010 and auctioned off in 2012. The sale did not include the busts.
Daniel Sangjib Min photos, TIMES-DISPATCH
Alyse Hancock, a brand architect and consultant based in Los Angeles, and Howard Hankins have embraced the presidential busts as they are, calling the new project The Ruines at Hankins Folly.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
Howard Hankins, 68, operates a commercial construction recycling business, turning concrete, steel and wood into reusable products.
