Ellerbe Unveils Roadside Marker Honoring Andre the Giant

A roadside marker honoring Andre the Giant was unveiled Thursday, April 23, at the intersection of NC Highway 73 and Old NC Highway 220 in the tiny North Carolina town of Ellerbe. The plaque notes Andre Roussimoff’s years (1946–1993), his role in The Princess Bride, and that he lived nearby—he owned a ranch just outside town limits and his ashes were spread there after his death in France in 1993; Ellerbe’s population was 864 as of the 2020 census.

North Carolina’s Department of Natural & Cultural Resources highlights that Andre purchased nine acres near Ellerbe in 1978 and eventually expanded to a 194-acre ranch along Big Mountain Creek, where he found a quieter life and even engaged in local civic efforts, including opposing a proposed radioactive waste site. WWE recently honored Andre as well, awarding his WrestleMania III match against Hulk Hogan the 2026 Immortal Moment Award—accepted by his daughter Robin and Hogan’s son Nick—and he remains the WWE Hall of Fame’s first-ever inductee from 1993.

Originally reported by Wrestling Observer: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/north-carolina-town-honoring-former-resident-andre-the-giant/.