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Ship Buildings (page 1)

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Santa Maria Building (The Galleon) [gone]
Absecon, NJ
The Galleon was built in 1926 as a real estate office to attract buyers to the Neptune's Gardens development. It was built as a replica of Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria. It was also known as the Absecon Beach Camp. There was also a miniature version of the Absecon lighthouse. The ship was originally built on wetlands and accessed by a wooden plank walkway. When the real estate market bottomed out, the Galleon was moved three miles away to where it is today. It was used as an Atlantic gas station (not sure at which location). It was also used for various shops, restaurants and offices over the years. In its last incarnation, it housed a seldom-open antiques shop. This was the last of three ships originally built. One of these was a pirate ship in Cliffwood Beach, NJ which was destroyed by fire in 1993. The Absecon ship was demolished in 2009. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

S.S. Blinky Jr. Building
Casa Grande, AZ
The S.S. Blinky Jr. was built by C.J. "Blinky" Wilson who had a son in the Navy. It was built in the 1940s as a gas station. There was a neon sign shaped like a lighthouse advertising Beacon Ethyl Gasoline. The back part of the ship had repair bays. The building was used as an auto agency from 1946-1981. The anchor appears to be the original. A smokestack and an exterior staircase to the top level are now missing. Also gone are the tires painted to look like life preservers which were installed on the railing. The building now houses the Ark Mash Store, a thrift store. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more, see this website.

Noah's Ark
Panama City Beach, FL
The ship-shaped Noah's Ark was built in 1978 as a "Christian Place" which still serves youth groups in summer and vacationing senior citizens in winter. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Noah's Ark [gone]
St. Charles, MO
This Noah's Ark was built in 1966 as a restaurant resembling a steamship. The ship was 155 feet long, 60 feet wide and 25 feet tall. It was later transformed into Noah's Ark with fiberglass animals and a statue of Noah on the roof.

Noah's Ark was closed for many years. In 2005, the structure in conjunction with the adjacent abandoned Days Inn, was used as the Haunted Hotel for the Halloween season. In 2007, it was demolished and will be replaced with a fitness center. The giraffes and elephant will be included in the center's design. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Noah's Ark
Ocean City, NJ
This Noah's Ark was built in 2005 at the Ocean City Tabernacle. It is installed on the side of the church's pre-school building.

There is another Noah's Ark, used for children's Sunday school programs, in Burlington, WA.

Mayflower Inn [gone]
Galveston, TX
The Mayflower Inn was a ship-shaped hotel designed by Ben Milam and built in 1941. It was originally known as the "SS Galveston Hotel Court". The building was demolished for condos soon after these photos were taken in 2006. For more, see this website.

Yankee Clipper
Fort Lauderdale, FL
The Yankee Clipper was designed by Tony Shermann and built in 1955. The building is meant to resemble a giant cruise ship. It features a mast, porthole windows, and deck-like balconies and railings. The hotel is now owned by Sheraton. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Viking Ship
Eden Prairie, MN
This Viking Ship is located outside the Minnesota Vikings football team's training facility.

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