It is believed that this Bayville Dinosaur was originally used by a taxidermist to advertise his business. If the story is to be believed, he found the dinosaur in a barn where it was stored after being used on a float for Sinclair Oil at the 1939 World's Fair. However, I don't think this statue is that old. He might have been from the 1964 NY World's Fair but it still seems unlikely. Sinclair's early dinosaur statues were realistic looking. The company did not begin producing their cuter gas station dinosaurs until 1976. This dinosaur doesn't look like any Sinclair statues that I have seen. Other Bayville residents remember this dinosaur being used initially at an ice cream stand where he was painted dark green with red lights in his nose and green lights down his back. The statue's head has been knocked off and replaced a number of times. In 1998, Dino's head disappeared and had to be replaced again. Changing businesses behind the statue have painted it different colors over the years. The top row of photos taken in 2001 shows him in a traditional green. Around 2005, he was painted gold. In 2007, he was repainted blue and covered with handprints during the Grand Opening celebration for House of Paints which remains the current tenant. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Frank's Castle Grill Hamburg, NJ