What does a 2,700 pound gorilla eat? If the gorilla comes from the Double D
Statuary, it doesn’t eat anything. That is because the life-sized primate with
a life-like smirk is made of concrete.
The statuary, 30 miles northwest of Corpus Christi on US77, claims to be the
largest manufacturer of concrete statues and fountains in Texas. “To tell you
the truth, I don’t know how many different items we have,” says David Reyckert.
He and his wife Donna make up the two Ds in the business’ name. He estimates
that they offer around 1,000 different concrete items, from a gorilla small
enough to hold in your hand to a hippo large enough to seat a family of four.
The Double D started as a “mom-and-pop” operation in 1982 when David retired
from the Navy. They have since grown to employ 30 people and have a second
location in Eddy, about 20 miles south of Waco on I-35. “We have people stop
from all over the world,” David says.
Saint Francis tops the statuary’s list of top sellers. Double D offers six
different models of the patron saint of animals, from 18 inches to four feet
tall, painted and unpainted. They also have an assortment of other saints and
altars, as well as all of the parts needed to build a backyard fountain.
You could fill a zoo with all the different kinds of animals at the statuary
— from household pets to flying eagles, lions, and squirrels. Their newest
selection is a dragon that comes in three parts and has a tail that seems to
slither above and below the ground. If a saint, dog, lion, or gnome won’t
protect your home, how about a concrete cannon or a life-sized emu? Or how
about impressing your neighbors with a herd of Texas longhorns or milk cows?
The unique items begin as ideas from employees, artists, or customers. A local
sculptor fashions a model from clay or styrofoam which is then covered with
latex to form the actual mold. The mold is then covered with a fiberglass and
wood frame. The concrete is poured into the bottom of the mold and allowed to
harden for a day. The art is then hand-rubbed with a file and finishing cement
to fill in holes and seams.
David said that the latex molds don’t last very long whether they are used or
not. A mold for a 30-inch Saint Francis can cost $300 and a large cow runs as
much as $1,600. “You have to make a lot to get your investment back,” he
says.
Still, some people place custom orders. David says one customer was building a
new house and saw a bathroom water basin in a magazine. From the picture they
built a model and mold, poured two basins, and then the molds were destroyed.
Another customer was the village of Hutto, northeast of Austin. Residents
purchased a life-sized hippo for the business district off US79 as a tourist
attraction and to honor the high school team — the Hutto Hippos.
For more information, call South Texas location at 800/418-2115 or the Eddy
location at 817/859-3197.
Coming up this weekend…
Gem & Mineral Show sponsored by the Fredericksburg Rockhounds at
the Lady Bird Johnson Park’s Pioneer Pavilion exhibits mineral and fossil
collections, jewelry, and collectibles, Sat. & Sun., Jan. 20-21.
210/997-1955.
Coming up…
Cranefest at Big Spring State Park offers visitors a unique look at the
area’s birds, plants, and historic rock carvings, as well as a look at the
sandhill cranes’ winter roosts with park experts, Fri. & Sat., Feb. 2-3.
Reservations required. 915/263-4931.
Day Trips, Vol.1, a book of the first 100 day trips from
this column, updated and expanded, is available for $6.95, plus $3.05 for
shipping,
handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, 1712 E. Riverside
Dr., Box 156,
Austin, TX 78741. n
245th in a Series. Collect Them All.
This article appears in January 19 • 1996 and January 19 • 1996 (Cover).