A collection of giant wind-powered sculptures built from discarded machinery and scrap metal has become an unlikely economic engine for downtown Wilson, North Carolina.

The sculptures were created by Vollis Simpson, a former farm machinery repairman who began constructing large kinetic artworks after retirement. Built from materials including old road signs, bicycle parts and scrap metal, the towering machines eventually attracted visitors to Simpson’s farm and later became the centrepiece of a public park in downtown Wilson.

Today, the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park has 30 restored sculptures and has developed into a significant tourism attraction. The park recorded about 194,300 visitors in 2024, with roughly 92,550 coming from outside the region.

The park currently estimates its annual economic contribution at $5.3 million in regional sales. It also reports an annual income impact of $1.9 million and support for 42 jobs.

From farm machinery repair to folk art

Simpson spent much of his working life repairing farm equipment in Wilson County. After retiring, he turned his attention to building enormous wind-powered structures on his property near Lucama, around 11 miles from Wilson.

The self-taught artist used whatever materials were available, giving discarded industrial and mechanical parts a new purpose. His sculptures moved with the wind, creating constantly changing mechanical displays.

What began as a personal hobby gradually attracted visitors from outside the area. The growing popularity of the collection eventually made Simpson’s farm Wilson County’s leading tourist destination, according to a 2020 economic impact report prepared for the City of Wilson.

As Simpson aged, however, maintaining the large sculptures became increasingly difficult. Many of the works also began to deteriorate, prompting the local community to find a way to preserve them.

Wilson turns the sculptures into a downtown attraction

The preservation effort resulted in the creation of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, which opened in November 2017 on a roughly two-acre site in downtown Wilson.

The project brought together the City of Wilson and the nonprofit Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum. Thirty large-scale sculptures were restored and relocated to the new site.

The project was designed not only to protect Simpson’s work but also to bring more people into the city centre and create a public space around which downtown activity could grow.

Early economic data suggested the strategy was working.

A 2020 study found that visitors from outside the region were spending about $1.7 million annually in Wilson County during the park’s early years. Tourism associated with the attraction generated about $752,000 in annual earnings and supported 28 full-time jobs after wider economic effects were included.

Property values increased around the park

The economic effect extended beyond visitor spending.

Researchers examined approximately 340 properties surrounding the park. Their combined assessed value increased from about $49.8 million in 2009 to $67.7 million in 2019, representing a 36% increase.

Across Wilson, the citywide assessed property value remained almost unchanged over the same period.

That meant properties in the area surrounding the park gained more than $17.9 million in assessed value during the decade examined by the study.

Local property owners and real estate professionals also viewed the park as an important factor in the revival of downtown Wilson. Interviews conducted for the report indicated that the attraction helped make the area more appealing for redevelopment and commercial activity.

One property owner said the positive developments surrounding the park and nearby Whirligig Station influenced the decision to undertake an initial redevelopment project.

The report described the broader transformation of downtown as a shift from an inactive area to a destination attracting regular activity.

Visitor numbers continue to rise

The park’s growth has continued beyond the period covered by the 2020 study.

In 2019, regular visitation was estimated at around 90 people a day, equivalent to nearly 32,850 visitors during the year. By 2024, annual attendance had climbed to about 194,300.

Visitors from outside Wilson remain particularly important because their spending represents new economic activity entering the county.

The park now reports an annual regional sales impact of $5.3 million, alongside $1.9 million in income impact and 42 supported jobs.

Simpson’s sculptures remain the centrepiece

Vollis Simpson died in 2013, four years before the downtown park opened. His work, however, continues to draw visitors and serve as a distinctive feature of Wilson’s identity.

The 30 restored kinetic sculptures now stand together in the downtown park, preserving the collection that once occupied Simpson’s farm.

The project demonstrates how an unconventional collection of folk art can become more than a cultural attraction. In Wilson, Simpson’s wind-powered machines have become part of a broader downtown redevelopment effort, drawing visitors, supporting local businesses and contributing to property value growth.

The park continues to operate through its partnership between the nonprofit organisation and the City of Wilson, keeping Simpson’s mechanical creations in public view for a new generation.