High upon a promontory on South Bass Island in Lake Erie at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, sits the Owners and Captains Quarters of the former Great Lakes Shipping Boat, The Benson Ford. The boat was built by Henry Ford and named after his grandson many years ago. After fifty years of service on the Great Lakes, the Benson Ford was scheduled in 1986 to be scrapped at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio. On the top front section of the boat were the walnut paneled state rooms, dining room, galley, and passenger lounge designed by Henry Ford for his own pleasure while traversing the Great Lakes on business. This is when an Ohio husband and wife stepped in realizing that these elegant quarters would be a magnificent residence, if they could only be removed from the rest of the ship and brought to land. After many days with torches and cranes, the Quarters were removed from the ship and floated by barge some sixty miles west to the tranquil island of South Bass Island. Additional cranes were needed to lift the Quarters off the barge at the Island up a steep eighteen foot promontory to its final site on solid bedrock on a single family home lot. The Quarters became The Ship Residence, a private home on South Bass Island. (from Dutton Auction and Realty Co.)
(Photo credit Donna Baker via Webshots.com)
Technorati tags: The Ship Residence, Henry Ford, South Bass Island, Ohio, Benson Ford, Lake Erie
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It is very cool. Still remember the first time I saw it in ‘88.
Comment by Richard Rodriguez November 9, 2007 @ 9:04 amNot as grand… but here are some neat houses near my former residence in S Cali
http://www.city-data.com/picfilesv/picv6215.php
Comment by John November 10, 2007 @ 9:01 pmThis is where I pictured you living. No?
Comment by Peter A. Mello November 10, 2007 @ 10:28 pm[...] What a ship designed for your personnel use? Perfect for landlubbers is Lake Erie’s Ship Residence: LINK [...]
Pingback by Elements Of Cruise Ship Design | gCaptain.com November 19, 2007 @ 10:16 pm[...] The Ship Residence - High upon a promontory on South Bass Island in Lake Erie at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, sits the Owners and Captains Quarters of the former Great Lakes Shipping Boat, The Benson Ford. The boat was built by Henry Ford and named after his grandson many years ago. After fifty years of service on the Great Lakes, the Benson Ford was scheduled in 1986 to be scrapped at the Port of Cleveland, Ohio. On the top front section of the boat were the walnut paneled state rooms, dining room, galley, and passenger lounge designed by Henry Ford for his own pleasure while traversing the Great Lakes on business. (Source: Sea-Fever) [...]
Pingback by Ships In Concrete - Best Maritime Inspired Architecture | gCaptain.com February 25, 2008 @ 10:49 pmBreathtaking. So beautiful. Enjoyed it more than words can say. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Comment by Trudy Lisiewicz March 11, 2008 @ 1:47 amTrudy
[...] The amazing boat shown above was originally built by Henry Ford and was only decommissioned after a half-century of use in the late 1900s. The front part in particular contained the state and dining rooms as well as a galley and passenger lounge - all elegantly designed by Ford himself (and for himself). What better basis for creating an amazing residence? After separating the forward section of the abandoned ship from the rest of the hull the couple had this portion floated by barge to South Bass Island and turned into a home. [...]
Pingback by 7 More Superb Examples of Recycled Urban Architecture | WebUrbanist July 13, 2008 @ 1:22 pm