|
|
|
|||||
|
Lucy is the world's largest elephant, and the only one in America designated as a National Historic Landmark. |
||||||
|
She was built in 1881 by James V. Lafferty, a real estate developer with a knack for promotion. Standing six stories tall, weighing 90 tons, covered with 12,000 square feet of sheet metal, Lucy was more than an object of awe -- she was a functioning building, serving first as a hotel, then as a tavern. She also gave people a reason to come to Margate City while Lafferty gave his real estate pitch. Lucy proved very useful. Jim L. made a bundle and went on to build other, even larger elephants in Cape May and Coney Island. Sadly, only Lucy has survived. |
She nearly didn't. By the late 1960s, Lucy was an abandoned wreck on the verge of collapse. Happily, the citizens of Margate banded together and raised money to restore the proud pachyderm to her former glory. Now, 25,000 visitors each summer tour Lucy's innards and buy post cards in her gift shop. For a small admission fee, the adventuresome can tour Lucy's innards, a display of regional maritime artifacts and Lucy history. The tour climaxes with a stop in the open-air "howdah" atop Lucy's back. From here, one is offered a breathtaking view of neighboring high-rise condos, the parking lot, and the Atlantic Ocean. |
|||||
|
||||||
