In 1978, Ric Griffith carved jack’o’lanterns for his two daughters, his wife and

himself.

He carved more the next year, and the next. Pumpkins squatted on the steps and

roosted on the rails. Within a few years Griffith was turning out hundreds every

 October.

He built a display wall, added lights and music. Now, three decades later,

Griffith’s century-old house near the Ohio River in Kenova is known far and wide

as “the pumpkin house,” and thousands of people drive and walk in to see the

 3,000 pumpkins on display.

The main display is a wall of pumpkins 40 feet long by 16 feet high. Each

pumpkin has the outline of an orchestral instrument carved in it and each is

illuminated from within by a light bulb.

All the bulbs are wired to a computer, which flicks the bulbs on and off in patterns

 synchronized with the music.

Repeat visitors will hear some old favorites, like Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture,

and some new selections, including John Phillip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever.

Griffith, who is a pharmacist and mayor of Kenova, has talked some local

television personalities into stopping by on Friday and Saturday for readings of

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” complete with a headless horseman.

The readings will be at 7:30, 8:30 and 9 p.m.

He hopes to have the display complete by Saturday, but he and his helpers will put

 out the pumpkins as they’re completed. There are no specific hours. The light

show is automated; Griffith is accustomed to spectators on his sidewalk late at

night and doesn’t mind it.

As they have for several years, the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity will have

 concessions and will use some of the pumpkin seeds and parts for baking. The

chapter hopes to make several thousand dollars for its housing programs.

The pumpkins stay up as long as they stay fresh, and that depends on the weather.

At one time Griffith had an arrangement with a local farmer who hauled off the

pumpkins and used them for feed.

That farmer no longer comes around and Griffith said he would entertain a similar

offer. Otherwise the pumpkins will go into a landfill.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

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The pictures are mine from last year. The story is from today's Daily Independent.

This years Pumpkin House will be ready Saturday.

I promised Jillycarmel I would get some pictures of it, so I'll stop by Friday on my lunch and shoot a few.

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The link to last years post is here, and my story on Rick's pharmacy is here.

The pharmacy is almost as good as his house!

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