Ever-changing McKee Road Rock is an Upatoi tradition

Nestled in the corner of McKee Road and Highway 80, a lone rock sits beneath a power line. But this is no ordinary rock — it’s part of an Upatoi, Ga. tradition.

Every few days, or weeks, or months, someone comes, usually at night, and paints a new message on the rock. Sometimes it’s a birthday salutation, or a graduation announcement, or a religious affirmation. There’s been at least one proposal (she said yes).

No matter what, it’s always changing.

Ferrel Wiley, a photographer, has documented almost every version of the rock since 2011.

“We've lived in Upatoi since 2010, and I always thought that it would be a really cool coffee-table book,” Wiley said.

“It never occurred to me to take pictures of it until I retired and my kids painted it for me. So I took a picture of it, and came up with the idea of making a Facebook page.”

Residents of Upatoi have been participating in the tradition for longer than most can remember.

“I know people my age, and I’m 68, who told me that they knew about it when they were in high school,” said Wiley.

There are now so many layers of paint on the rock that it feels like fiberglass, Wiley said. “The paint has bonded to itself. Clearly there's a rock there, but it feels hollow.”

There’s only one rule for the rock, Wiley said, and that’s to be courteous to other painters.

“If you want to paint something on it for a specific date, put the date on there. If you want to paint something and a date is already on there, don’t paint it until that date is up.”

And don’t worry about giving anyone a heads up, Wiley said. There’s no need.

“I don't own the rock. There's no reservation book. It's just the community, it just happens.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Ever-changing McKee Road Rock is an Upatoi tradition."