Art lovers clinging to hope were probably juiced to learn the “Giant Peach” sculpture by artist Jan Kirsh, which sits outside Georgia Grace Café on Main Street in Ellicott City, can remain where it is.
In September 2025, the Howard County Historic Preservation Commission ruled the shiny, eye-catching piece of art needed to be taken down or moved. The commission’s reasoning was that neither the café owner (Jacko LLC) nor the Fund for Art in Ellicott City, who commissioned the sculpture, had followed the process required for installing it in the historic district.
Even if they had properly followed procedures, commissioners said they would have rejected the application for the sculpture’s placement based on its size, and how much of the front of the café it obscured. The commission did reject the Fund for Art’s application eventually filed retroactively for the “Giant Peach” sculpture.
The Fund appealed the decision in November 2025, and the case was heard in the Circuit Court for Howard County, Civil Division on Thursday, June 18, 2026. Megan Reuwer appeared as counsel for Jacko LLC and is also on the board for the Fund for Art in Ellicott City. Mark Beaumont, listed as counsel from the Howard County Office of Law (which represents county agencies like the Historic Preservation Commission), was marked “not present.” The hearing took place over Zoom before Judge Harry C. Storm. Storm issued his ruling on Monday, June 22, 2026, vacating the commission’s denial of the application and determining it can remain where it is.
The Howard County Historic Preservation Commission had no comment on the judge’s ruling, and multiple attempts to reach Reuwer were unsuccessful.
