T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK St. Clairsville area businesses joined forces to purchase the record-breaking King Pumpkin of the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival. The gigantic gourd is on display at Chick-fil-A throughout the week. Representing those businesses are Janet Austin, from left, director of culture and community at Chick-fil-A; Robert Thomas, co-owner of Thomas Auto Centers Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram; Jay Goodman, real estate agent of Harvey Goodman Realtor; and Judi, Mark and Kirke Porterfield of Kirke’s Homemade Ice Cream.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The king of the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival is reigning in a new location this week, on display at the Chick-fil-A restaurant at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville.

The gourd’s royal title is well-deserved. Weighing in at 2,405 pounds, the pumpkin not only broke Pennsylvania’s state record, but on the day it was crowned it was the largest in the world.

Eric Gunstrom of Harrison City, Pennsylvania, grew the enormous pumpkin and entered it in the Barnesville event, which annually is said to attract 100,000 people.

Following the festival, several St. Clairsville area businesses teamed up to win the King Pumpkin at auction. Thomas Auto Centers Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram joined forces with Harvey Goodman Realtor, Chick-fil-A and Kirke’s Homemade Ice Cream. Together they paid $13,000 to claim possession of the massive fruit.

“It sold last year for $8,500,” Robert Thomas, co-owner of Thomas Auto Centers Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, said.

The $13,000 amount is the most money any King Pumpkin has sold for.

“It was Kirke (Porterfield’s) idea,” Thomas said. “They got hold of us and it sounded interesting.”

The pumpkin will be showcased outside Chick-fil-A until Sunday. Judi Porterfield, wife of Kirke Porterfield, owner of Kirke’s Homemade Ice Cream, joked that it would make a considerable amount of pumpkin ice cream.

“(On Sunday) the grower will come and get the pumpkin and will take all the seeds out of it and sell those seeds and save some,” she said, adding that the pumpkin-growing community would be interested in buying the seeds. The money raised by the pumpkin auction goes to help fund the festival.

“It all goes back to the community, and I think that’s what all four of our companies are about,” Janet Austin, director of culture and community at Chick-fil-A, said.

Austin added that the King Pumpkin has quickly attracted interested onlookers from the traveling public.

“We’ve had a lot of people coming by, especially (Monday), looking at it. A lot of kids that were just oohing and aahing,” she said. “It’s been really neat to watch people’s faces as they come up and see it and even take pictures of it.

She said this is an opportunity to promote the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival to people who might not have been able to witness the weigh-off and judging in person, or to see the prize-winning gourds on display.

“We wanted to have a place for everybody that didn’t get to (attend the Pumpkin Festival) and we have a pretty backdrop,” she said.

Jay Goodman of Harvey Goodman Realtor added that the King Pumpkin is also visible from Interstate 70.

“A lot more people can see it,” he said.

“Maybe it’ll be able to draw more people for next year,” Austin said. “That would be great.”

Festival officials expressed appreciation for the buyers and for the record-setting price they paid to obtain the King Pumpkin.

“We are very grateful to the businesses for their support,” festival President Tim Rockwell said. “It is greatly appreciated and helps us to continue to grow the festival.”