To be completely honest I have no idea if Spiro Drake is a folk artist, museum curator or theme park owner. He could, in fact, just be a stone worker gone wrong, too. I will leave it up to you to decide. My own interest in the man is how the society around him understands him and identifies him as “The Greek.”
Far from a mere roadside attraction whose tale is told in a few paragraphs in fringe books such as Weird New Jersey or in a few pictures on Roadside America’s website, the story of Spiro Drake and his unique “Playland” are the subject of dozens and dozens of newspaper stories, television broadcast reports, Internet accounts and even the object of at least one and perhaps two documentaries. Just to make life interesting few of these reports and descriptive accounts seem to agree with one another. Drawing on as wide a preview of these assorted sources as possible I offer you the following.
Drake’s core tale is that he was: “a Depression-era baby abandoned in a coal bin, [raised first at] an orphanage, a vow to spend half of any riches he attained to help the poor. He’s fulfilled that vow, giving much of his money away to charity and spending the rest to build Playland and Display World (www.roadsideamerica.com.story/2163).” This unique Playland first opened in 1972. An important point, we need to address immediately is that no collection of sources I’ve encountered even agrees on the precise name of Drake’s outdoor creation. By all accounts, the Playland is a 65 (other sources cite 68, some 87) acre complex directly adjacent to Drake’s stone yard supply business, which was known as the Wholesale Nursery. Many accounts and newscasts refer to his creation as the “Greek’s Playland, Stone Museum and Clown” while others call the place “The Stone Museum, Display World, and Greek’s Playland.”
Quickly noted, the “Clown” in question here is none other than “Cyclown,” a currently armless work of art. Drake made this 40 foot wonder himself and claims it is nothing less than the World’s Tallest Clown. Cyclown is composed entirely of recycled junk, including a 10,000 gallon oil tank torso and telephone pole legs. Cyclown used to have arms made from irrigation pipe, but an ice storm caused them to snap off. His hat is a huge exhaust hood, with (now) a flashing beacon atop to warn off air traffic. Somehow a lightening rod-type apparatus is also, now, attached to Cyclown since a 1997 fire, caused by lightening destroyed large sections of the Playland.
So what does one find at this unique place: “The entrance to Display World is guarded by “Monroe the Trackhoe-saurus,” a roaring dinosaur fashioned from gunnite and the body of a heavy construction hoe. It slobbers and drools at the touch of a hidden button. Display World is a pleasant labyrinth of sheltered walkways, waterfalls, lakes, and Japanese-style bridges. Hanging acetylene tank halves chime like ancient Tibetan bells. The “Great Wall of the Greek” is a mile-long stretch of many small walls constructed from different building materials, meticulously labeled with the names of every marble tile, cinder block, and paved stone (and the price-per-square foot). The Greek [claims] “It’s the largest display like this in the world (www.roadsideamerica.com.story/2163).” No one has ever been (or will be) charged admission upon entering Playland. By one estimate, since 1973, the Greek’s Playland has already hosted well over 100,000 underprivileged and handicapped children and adults. Over 800 free tours have been conducted at The Stone Museum, alone. No fees or donations of any kind have ever been accepted from visitors. The location for this park is 608 Spotswood-Englishtown Road in Jamesburg, New Jersey. The complex is open to the general public Monday through Saturday 8AM-4PM, Sunday 10AM-4PM (call 732-521-2232 to verify).
The Greek’s Playland, Inc. is a nonprofit organization (#226-289-923/000) with no paid employees, its Board of Directors, are all volunteers with Spiro Drake, as president. Drake has also been the sole financier of Greeks’ Playland, Inc. for 50 years. In August 2013, Drake closed his Wholesale Nursery. Then, in his 80s, Drake could simply no longer conduct this business. Given that this would mean the end of any financial support from the nursery/landscaping business such a decision should also meant an end to the Greek’s Playland. But that was far from the case!
Now, let’s step back a moment here. I must admit I was confused, at first, by the flurry of published accounts. Rather than clear concise journalistic accounts most of what I read was little more than sarcastic jabs at Drake’s sustained efforts to create a barrier-free playground for mentally handicapped adults and children. Many of the accounts, rather than bothering to report and describe Drake’s ongoing creation spend their time lampooning the Playland and/or focusing their accounts on zoning violations Jamesburg officials claimed the Greek had transgressed. Leaving all this legal hubbub aside it is important to note, a point often ignored in most published or broadcast accounts—Drake was a much sought after landscape artist.
For fifty years, Spiro Drake was never simply a stone mason or seller of garden goods he was a landscape artist of stunning abilities. Across three states Drake created vast landscapes of stones, trees, bridges, built lakes and pools, buildings of many parts and visions– all as part of his re-imaging of nature’s wonderment. True, a handful of published accounts discuss Drake’s work for specific celebrities such as Jon Bon Jovi (e.g. Bongiovi, b. 1962) and/or Bruce Springsteen (b. 1949). But they do not make that critical link between Drake’s long career as (what one sees in print) a “Zen landscaper,” “a philosopher in stone” or “sculptor of celebrity pools” also the gifted creator of The Greek’s Playland. With the profits from these creations Drake built, over a period of 50 years, Playland.
But Drake is no fool. He could not continue in this line of strenuous work forever. So he built Garden Falls immediately adjacent to the Playland. Garden Falls is a place to have weddings that would financially maintain the Playland. Garden Falls has 4 Banquet Halls which are used for weddings and other special events.
Drake’s thinking was “As long as there are weddings Garden Falls will be able to continue funding Greek’s Playland and The Stone Museum. The price (of each wedding) includes the room rental, large barrier free restrooms with attendants, trash containers, tables & chairs, 400 blacktop barrier free parking spaces for cars and vans and a stone parking lot for 300 cars and buses (all on site). Also a heliport, a large undercover barrier free playground, 10 waterfalls, 2 lakes, 4 bridges, etc., a great place for photos. Catering is not included. All catering, decorating, DJ, event planners, helicopter & limo services, etc., are done by offsite vendors. Vendors are welcome to visit and use the facility. We do not charge them anything, all they have to do is do a good job, if not – they can never come back (www.gardenfalls.com).”Garden Falls gives 10% of all rentals to Greek’s Playland and does all of the maintenance.
As one ages, questions arise—“how did I spend my life?” “Did I give back more than I was given?” “Or was I a fool who played about life’s edges rather than engaging in it for all that I could?” Spiro “The Greek” Drake has clearly created a wonderland for the meek of the earth. Can you even imagine a more wonderful way to have spent your life’s work?
The post The Greek’s Playland: A Man’s Dream appeared first on The National Herald.