ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (7News) — A pair of oversized fruit sculptures in historic Ellicott City has sparked both laughter and controversy, and could soon be removed.

Several months ago, a large peach sculpture was installed outside Georgia Grace Cafe. Cafe owner Paula Dwyer said she was thrilled when she saw it.

“It was this big, beautiful orange peach,” Dwyer said. “At first, honestly, I was like, wow, this is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Directly across the street, an enormous eggplant, or aubergine, appeared in front of The Wine Bin.

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While many visitors have embraced the statues as playful additions to Main Street, some have popularized them as cheeky nods to body parts. David Carney, owner of The Wine Bin, said for years, the aubergine has been good for business.”

“I don’t quite understand the innuendo because I have one of those body parts, and it doesn’t look like that, and it’s not purple,” said Carney. “It’s kind of weird, comical really, that people think that.”

But not everyone is amused. Merchants were recently told they may need to remove the sculptures. The sculptures, part of the Fund for Art in Ellicott City, were mentioned during last week’s Historic Preservation Commission meeting. Some residents argued that the colorful installations distract from the city’s historic architecture.

“History is really important,” said nearby resident Ken McNaughton. “It’s great artwork, but I guess it’s not historic enough for them.”

Supporters, however, are fighting to keep the peach and eggplant in place. Don Reuwer, president of Waverly Real Estate Group, said hundreds of signatures have already been collected in support of the sculptures.

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“Unfortunately, the chairperson told me they weren’t interested in petitions, that the merchants are only temporary, so they don’t matter,” Reuwer said. “That was just the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.”

For now, the sculptures’ fates remain uncertain. Unless the businesses secure the necessary approvals, the sculptures may have to come down.