Merritt Island, Florida -
Dragon Statue - Gone

The dragon was called "Annie," probably in reference to the owner of the home, Aynn Christal, that had the artist build the dragon. I played little league with the Christal son in the early 1970s.

In the early 1980's the home and dragon were completely renovated. At the time, I was a delivery driver for a local building supply company and made several trips out to the point. The dragon may have been destroyed by storms, but the abandoned home is still there. [Bill, 11/14/2009]

I had the pleasure of seeing the Dragon up close over the years. As a boy I even got to see inside of it (which wasn't that remarkable. I remember it being damp and seeing a disconnected TV set and microwave sitting around in the belly). At one time it did indeed breathe fire via propane tanks, but since a storm crippled it in 2002 and another totally demolished it in 2004 there is little left to see other than the legs. It was a real sight to see while we still had it.

My Dad knew the sculptor, Lewis Vandercar, and recalled a conversation with him about how how was going to build this giant monument at the end of Merritt Island. The house on the property still remains and would require a lot of renovation and rebuilding make livable again but even so it is 95% intact and inside it is just a gorgeous testament to 1980's architectural design. I never saw inside the house until after it had been abandoned. It's almost as impressive as the dragon itself. Even ruined it has so much character. It would be a shame if it were to be demolished. As for the dragon, nothing short of a completely new construction is needed. That sculpture really should be kept on a historic register so funds can be allocated to rebuild a new one. It really was special to the area. [anonymous, 04/14/2009]

The dragon statue is not rebuilt, and has in fact fallen into the water in pieces. You can only see parts of it by boat. The property owners had it up for sale still, but I don't know if the house, which is in disrepair, ever sold. [danielle, 08/31/2006]

I have lived here since before the dragon was built. She is on the southernmost tip of Merritt Island, FL, was built in 1971 and can be seen on most nautical maps listed as Dragon Point. Over the years she has been given the name "Annie." Dragon eggs had been added midway in her life. Unfortunately, on Aug 4th, 2002, a heavy downpour crushed her. Parts of her remain and numerous groups have been trying to reconstruct her -- but it seems unlikely at this point. A local frame shop sells mounted pictures of Annie along with "dinosaur" bones (pieces of her shell). [Debbie Pitts, 04/27/2004]

The Dragon sits on private property at the southernmost tip of Merrit Island. Built by the previous owners of the property, it is inaccessible to the curious public. I chickened out after several NO TRESPASSING - PRIVATE PROPERTY signs. Each year there is a 5K run over the Eau Gallie causway called "The Eye of the Dragon" in honor of the big lizard. The best bet for getting a closer look at the dragon is by boat. [Marie Breheny 8/12/99]

The dragon was built by a real estate developer awhile ago and at one time had propane hooked to its nostrils and would blow fire. It hasn't blown fire in about 10 yrs. because the tank & lines have rusted. If you go along side it by boat or jet ski, you'll notice several baby hatchlings in eggs at the dragon's feet. [Eric, 12/18/1999]

[RA: August 2002 - The 65-ft.long, 20-ton concrete dragon statue at the junction of the Indian and Banana Rivers has collapsed into the water. Since 1971, the Dragon stood in Dragon Point Estate on the southern tip of Merrit Island. There is no plan to rebuild; the original sculptor -- Lewis VanDerCar -- a practicing warlock and white witch, died in 1989.]