It was erected as a monument to Cornelia’s once-thriving apple industry and now stands as the centerpiece of the city’s historic downtown.
The Big Red Apple turned 99 years old today.
Collaborative effort
This 5,200-pound monument, built of steel and concrete, was gifted to Cornelia by Southern Railway to honor the work of producing and transporting fruit from the town.
“It was a collaborative effort from a number of different organizations to make it come to fruition,” explains local historian Peter Madruga.
The Habersham Club (which no longer exists), Kiwanis, Southern Railway, Georgia Power, and the Apple Orchards Association all contributed to bringing ‘Big Red’ to town.
“It’s rare, I think, to see so many different entities coming together and celebrating a remarkable achievement,” says Madruga, whose nonprofit
Habersham Education & Research
is dedicated to preserving local history. He calls the 99th anniversary of the monument’s unveiling a “big deal.”
“There are so many happy moments that I’ve found of people celebrating life in front of that Big Red Apple, whether it’s a prom date, a family celebration, or just people meeting there,” Madruga says. “It’s a well-known, established place, so it’s important to me to celebrate its history.”
A celebrated unveiling
That history began on June 4, 1926, when thousands of people gathered next to the train depot in Cornelia to witness the monument’s unveiling. Headlines heralded the event beforehand: “Big Marble Apple Will Be Unveiled,” “Huge Concrete Apple Will Be Unveiled by Leaders at Cornelia,” and, after the event, a newspaper write-up announced, “Lovers of Apple Go to Cornelia for Ceremonies.”
Here’s how the
Atlanta Constitution
described it:
“The “big apple” at Cornelia is a fitting advertisement for the great Georgia apple belt that is becoming famous throughout the nation. Cornelia is the gateway to this belt, and the “Habersham” apple is properly a standard of quality that marks its merit in the markets as distinctly as the Indian River orange, or the Cairo cane syrup.”
Seeing red
Cornelia’s apple-producing heyday may be in the past, but at 99, the Big Red Apple remains relevant—and red.
A
restoration painting mishap
in early 2021 left the iconic landmark a pinkish shade of orange. After several attempts, the contractor finally applied the “correct shade of red” according to the city.
That bright, iconic color jumps out at visitors as they drive or stroll by. It beckons thousands of tourists to the eponymous Big Red Apple Festival each year.
For many locals, the Big Red Apple blends into the town’s scenery — a relic from the past, often overlooked in the rush of modern life. But on a day like today, in a city proudly known as the “Home of the Big Red Apple,” this landmark deserves a second glance—a momentary pause to imagine the excitement of rural relatives gathered to celebrate its unveiling—a moment to reflect on how this iconic symbol has stood steady through generations, serving as a backdrop to our memories, milestones, and lives.
