Gourd Heads

My father’s name was Philip H. Harrison, who was a veteran who met the German army up close and personal during WWII, including the Battle of the Bulge. He survived numerous strafings by the Luftwaffe, snipers, and being blown through a door by a buzz bomb (V1). He was a railroad man and, after retirement, he took on a number of projects such as making a small barn, making homemade wine, building furniture, and raising long-neck gourds.

His long-neck gourds were shaped by hanging them by the neck above the ground while they were developing. He made some into birdhouses (photo) and he cut the large ones out so that they could be used as a Halloween mask (photo). We all had a lot of fun putting the large gourds over our heads and surprising various family members.

Contributed by: Jerry Harrison
Created by: Philip Harrison
Origin: Grown and carved in Fairview, South Carolina