A North Carolina Highway Historical Marker honoring wrestling legend André the Giant was unveiled Thursday, April 23 in Ellerbe, recognizing his longtime ties to Richmond County and his adopted hometown.
The marker was placed at the intersection of Old U.S. 220 and N.C. 73 near a rest area entrance and was approved through the N.C. Departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Transportation.
Vladimir Koloff and Jackie McAuley assisted in the unveiling of the marker during the ceremony.
André the Giant, born André René Roussimoff in Grenoble, France, in 1946, became one of professional wrestling’s most recognizable figures during the 1980s WWF (now WWE), where he was known as “the Eighth Wonder of the World.” He also starred as Fezzik in the 1987 film “The Princess Bride.”
Roussimoff purchased land in Ellerbe in the 1970s, eventually expanding it into a 46- to 194-acre ranch where he raised longhorn cattle and lived a private life. He was also known locally for visiting Dixie Burger, where he would enjoy iced coffee.
He died in 1993 while in France for his father’s funeral. In accordance with his wishes, his ashes were returned to his ranch in Ellerbe.
The Rankin Museum of American Heritage in Ellerbe maintains an exhibit dedicated to André’s life and career, featuring personal items, memorabilia and artifacts connected to his ranch life.
Brett Webb, chairman of the museum’s board, opened the ceremony by welcoming attendees and highlighting the museum’s collection.
“We really appreciate people coming out to support the town, support the legacy of Andre the Giant. Rankin Museum, we have a wonderful collection. If you haven’t been able to come by and see the Andre exhibit in the past, we’d love for you to see it,” said Webb. “A giant part of that was Ms. Jackie McAuley how dated all these items and made it possible for us to have this exhibit. It means a lot to see so many people out here today, and people all over.”
McAuley and her late ex-husband, Frenchy Bernard, were close friends of André the Giant and helped care for and maintain his AFJ Ranch in Ellerbe.
Leslie Leonard, chief research historian and administrator for the Highway Historical Marker Program, said the program has operated since 1935 and now includes 1,669 markers across North Carolina.
“Getting a highway historical marker is not an easy task. Each subject has to rise to the level of statewide significance, not just local or regional significance,” said Leonard. “So when we’re putting a marker in the ground, we’re saying that this topic is important to all of us in the state of North Carolina.”
She added that the markers are intentionally brief.
“They have very few words as the markers are like brief exhibit labels on the landscape. We call them history tweets, or sometimes history haiku,” Leonard said. “We have very few words to tell a very large story.”
Historian Forest Hazel, who submitted the application for the marker, said he had previously worked on several historical submissions, primarily focused on Native American history in North Carolina.
He said former program administrator Ansley Wagner had repeatedly noted André’s importance to the state.
“And I said, well, I’ll give it a try if you want,” Hazel said. “Apparently, it did the job. And I’m just pleased that this is a part of the story that the markers can tell. I could joke and say that, well, Andre was a big part of North Carolina history, and that would be true.”
Professional wrestler Carl Brantley, known as Vladimir Koloff, also spoke, recalling how he first met André, Jackie and Frenchy in 1987 when they visited his family farm in Wilkesboro and bought their original Texas longhorn cattle from him. He said that early connection later carried into his wrestling career.
“I later broke into the wrestling business in 1990 and this man was very instrumental in guiding me and getting me to where I needed to be for my training and my subsequent career,” said Koloff.
Koloff said André’s influence extended beyond personal mentorship and helped shape the wrestling industry as a whole.
“Andre is footed deeply as a foundation of the professional wrestling industry, and of the movie industry as well. Without Andre, we, as wrestlers, we, as an industry, would not exist in the massive global space that we have now,” Koloff said.
He also recognized those connected to André’s legacy and the broader community.
“I’m honored to be here and I want to thank everybody. Richmond County, Ellerbe, North Carolina, Rockingham, North Carolina, the state of North Carolina, the Roussimoff family, the McAuley family, the Frenchy Bernard family in heaven,” said Koloff. “The world of professional wrestling for giving us a larger-than-life icon in global entertainment through Andre the Giant.”
Following the ceremony, Koloff sold posters of his final match with André in Pembroke, with proceeds going towards the Rankin Museum.
The marker adds to ongoing efforts to preserve André’s legacy in Ellerbe, including a 2023 “Giant Celebration” hosted by the Rankin Museum featuring wrestling events, a street festival and fan activities honoring his life and career.
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