Meet Major — the 2,000-pound, 10 ft. bronze bull in the center of downtown Durham. He has stood tall in Central Carolina Bank Plaza since 2004 + has brought good luck and fortune upon many locals and visitors alike.
Commissioned by Central Carolina Bank, Major the Bull was created by local artists Michael Waller and Leah Foushee in memory of George Watts Hill. George, a World War II veteran, was the bank’s President and Chairman of the Board for 61 years before passing in 1993. He was known to his friends as “Major.”
The monument was built from start to finish at Liberty Arts — a non-profit studio and foundry in Durham. He was then given to the community as a symbol of Durham’s strength.
The bull has been a symbol of Durham since the late 1800s when the Blackwell Tobacco Company first named its product, Bull Durham Tobacco. Major is not the largest bull icon in Durham — the snorting bull at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park measures a whopping 20 by 30 ft.
Major the bull will be turning 17 on April 12, 2021. You can visit him at 211 W Parrish St. + even send birthday wishes to his Twitter account.
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