What is the history of this big bird?
Born in 1959 under the care of Faym-Us Chicken to market the restaurant’s broasted chicken, the chicken statue has nested atop 331 N. Main St. in Clawson for decades. The chicken has marked its territory, maintaining its roost through several different businesses, including Atomic Chicken and the building’s current occupant since 2023, Biscuits and Gravy.
How has the chicken held up over the years?
Most chickens fare just fine throughout the seasons, and this one is no exception, especially since it’s made of fiberglass. It has, however, received at least one makeover. When we asked Clawson residents to tell us their chicken tales, community member Barbara White said she gave it a fresh coat of paint in 1989.
Has there been fowl play over the years?
Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the chicken’s word, but the Clawson community on Facebook told a few stories. One resident confessed that he “had a friend in high school who got on top of the building and rode that chicken like a horse,” to which someone replied, “Who hasn’t done this?” Two members agreed to “not share any of our stories.” And more than one Clawson High School alumni recalled tales of the chicken actually crossing the road (or a few roads) to opposing teams’ football fields. We also heard stories of families snapping selfies during their visit and just how much people continue to love the food at all of the building’s restaurants.
Surely the chicken has siblings, right?
Yes! Over the years, several of its fiberglass relatives have roosted near businesses in Byron Center, Prudenville, St. Louis, Levering, Honor, and Greenbush. (Some are still standing, while others have flown the coop.) There’s even one at a mini golf course: World’s Finest Frozen Custard & Family Fun Center in New Baltimore. They all share a human father: the late Ben Robinson. From 1941 through the early 1990s, he operated Plycrete Mold Company in Elk Rapids, his granddaughter Glori Crowell tells Hour Detroit.
What about cousins?
In its time, Plycrete Mold produced numerous fiberglass animals and the molds to make them, including the anthropomorphic donkey once found atop Bray’s Hamburgers locations. Then there’s the giant cow head on a former ice cream parlor along Mack Avenue in Detroit, which famously appeared in 8 Mile (2002).
Why has the chicken endured?
It seems safe to say that the beloved Clawson chicken is not going anywhere. Even at the city government level, there’s a concerted effort to preserve it. “When we went down to the city to go get permits … they told us the one thing we cannot do is remove the chicken,” says Romeo Kalaj, owner-manager of Biscuits and Gravy. It’s hard to say whether local leaders are genuinely fond of the bird or simply too chicken to get rid of it. But the community certainly has a fondness for it. Clawson Historical Museum curator Leah Davis says that people are very attached to the chicken and will continue to love it, as it is one of the last landmarks in the “little city with a big heart.”
This story originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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