A plan to erect the world’s highest flagpole to raise an American flag the size of a football has split a nearby little Maine town.
The $1 billion project, known as the Flagpole of Freedom Park, is meant to “bring Americans together, remind them of the centuries of sacrifice made to protect our freedom, and unite a divided America,” according to Morrill Worcester, the creator of Worcester Wreath.
However, so far it has only divided Columbia Falls inhabitants, a community of only 485 people that is closest to the tract of wilderness where the enormous flagpole – taller than the Empire State Building – will be built. Residents worry that the monument, which would be visible for miles, would ruin the stunning natural setting and have negative effects on the local ecology.
One local told the Associated Press that “it’s like putting the Eiffel Tower in the middle of the wilderness in Maine.”
Right now, the area is a haven of evergreen trees, barrens of wild blueberries, and ponds, lakes, and streams teeming with trout and Atlantic salmon, while the forest floor is home to deer, moose, black bears, beavers, and fisher cats.
Worcester also envisioned a hamlet with living museums portraying the history of the United States through the perspective of veterans. A 4,000-seat theatre, eateries, and a memorial wall with the names of all fallen soldiers going back to the Revolutionary War – roughly 24 million names – are all part of the plans.
Some residents think of Worcester as a kind-hearted businessman who wants to create the attraction to help the region’s struggling economy. Others, however, perceive him as a businessman who is only keen on pushing his view of America on others.
The massive flagpole would take ten years to build, if it were ultimately allowed.
