The Big Duck is the creation of duck farmer Martin Maurer, who wanted a unique shop where he could sell his ducks and duck eggs. The building speaks to Flanders’ heritage as the center of Long Island’s duck-farming industry. The Big Duck’s location and appearance ensured its success as a retail poultry store until its closure in 1988. Since then, the building has belonged to Suffolk County and is the centerpiece of Big Duck Ranch, which is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. The Big Duck is theorigin of the architectural term “duck,” which refers to a building that takes the shape of the everyday object or product to which it relates.

Building materials: Façade, gourd; door, salt cedar twigs, acorn handles, grape vine hinges; foundation, oak, white pine bark; body/head/wings, gourds; beak, yucca pods; eyes, rose hips

US Capitol columns, posted earlier: