Rachel Baldwin|Daily News
Pictured are two of the concrete pigs displayed on the lawn of the Historic Coal House in Williamson that were painted and decorated by local high school art students. The pigs will be on display throughout the Hatfield and McCoy Reunion Festival Marathon and will then will grace the front of area businesses who purchased them.
Rachel Baldwin
Staff Writer
WILLIAMSON - Pigs of every color that are decorated in various attire and paint schemes are now on display in front of the Historic Coal House for the Hatfield and McCoy Reunion Festival Marathon this weekend, and will then find a permanent home in front of area businesses who purchased them.
Natalie Young, the Executive Director of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce and Bob Scott, who owns the property where the famous McCoy Well sits (former home place of Randal McCoy) had the innovative idea to approach local businesses to see if they would be interested in purchasing a concrete pig that would then be painted and decorated by art students from Mingo Central, Tug Valley and Belfry High Schools.
“The students did an amazing job on the pigs, we couldn’t be more pleased with the finished product,” stated Young. “Pikeville, Ky. has their concrete bears on display and Lexington, Ky. has horse statues, so we felt it was very fitting for us to have pigs here in Mingo County since the legend is that a stolen pig started the Hatfield and McCoy Feud.”
“The decorated pigs add a whimsical touch while at the same time; allow us to celebrate such an important part of our local history.”
Young invites the public to come by and visit the Coal House and to take a moment to cast a vote for your favorite pig. The winning entry will be announced during the Hatfield and McCoy Festival on Saturday.
“It’s so hard to choose a favorite one because they are all winners in my book,” remarked Young. “We are truly blessed with some very talented students in the Tug Valley area who definitely thought outside the box with their designs and creations and we want them to know how very much we appreciate their time.”
“We have a total of 20 pigs on display right now and several are still being worked on and we will be adding those to our downtown streets as soon as they are completed.”
If you or your business is interested in purchasing a concrete pig, you may contact Young at 304-235-5240.
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