The Chairy Orchard in Denton has closed after eight years as a local oddity because of what its owners say is an increase in vandalism over the last few weeks.
The art installation, which featured hundreds of chairs in all sorts of arrangements as well as a scavenger hunt and a tiny library, was a popular spot for families, photographers and weddings.
The park was created by neighbors and “chairy fairies” Anne Pearson and Judy Smith, both in their 80s.
They say stolen and destroyed property made daily maintenance too time consuming to keep the free attraction open.
“We had always said, from the beginning,” Smith said, “when it's not fun anymore we’ll stop.”
The Orchard’s Facebook page announced the closure last week and asked people with fond memories to come take home their favorite chair as a way to commemorate the park.
Pearson and Smith say they were looking into what it would have cost to get everything cleared away. Then they saw the response from a community that wanted to come get chairs and say goodbye.
“Within 10 minutes, it was crazy,” Pearson said. “All day yesterday and all day today, yesterday they were driving out here with pickup trucks full.”
Everyone had a different reason for choosing the chair they took home.
Chanjuan Chen said part of the reason she moved to the neighborhood was because of the orchard. She chose a rocking horse because it was her daughter’s favorite.
“Her really first trip out of the house is actually come here,” Chen said. “Spending afternoons here is something that is her favorite thing to do.”
Not every chair had an emotional reason why it was taken: Amy Copeland took one that was easy to carry.
“It's not the chairs we care about, it’s having a piece of this place at our own home so that it gets to keep living,” she said.
Copeland said her family visited at least once a year and had several family photos taken at the orchard.
The park was originally set to close on the 18th but because everything was cleared out within three days of the original announcement, it officially shut down on the 11th.
Pearson and Smith watched as visitors hauled away pieces of their orchard and said they enjoyed getting to talk to everyone.
“Anne and I were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and memories showered on us,” Smith said. “It is now just a memory.”
Larger pieces from the orchard, including a metal arch made of chairs, will be relocated to parks around Denton so that residents can continue to enjoy them.