Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor
Even when blessed with good roads and good weather, crossing the Alleghenies on the Lincoln Highway was a challenge for the early motorist. Steep grades and winding roads resulted in overheated engines and severe cases of vertigo. Entrepreneurs along the Lincoln Highway's many summits established business to respond to this dilemma. One of the most famous Lincoln Highway landmarks in Pennsylvania and in the country was the S.S. Grand View Point located ½ mile east of this point."See 3 states, 7 counties"—-For decades this was the slogan that greeted motorists as they climbed the Allegheny Mountain summit and rounded the sharp bend. The S.S. Grand View Point was the brainchild of Herbert Paulson, a Dutch immigrant. He began with a roadside stand and picnic/camping area: then expanded it to resemble a castle with multiple overlooks. The structure was cantilevered under and had 18 steel beams anchoring it. A telescope beckoned visitors to enjoy the 60+ mile view.
Because of his love of the sea, in 1932 Paulson transformed the castle structure into a ship—-complete with observation decks, captain's wheel, life preservers and lighthouses. Immediately it became a famous Lincoln Highway landmark. Paulson kept a log of visitors to the Ship: some of the more famous were George Burns, Joan Crawford, and Henry Ford. When the PA Turnpike opened in 1940, travelers preferred the new superhighway over the Lincoln Highway, and business declined.
New owners in the 1970's attempted unsuccessfully to revive the site calling it Noah's Ark. For more than twenty years the Ship sat idle and fell into serious disrepair. In the early morning hours of October 26, 2001, the S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel burned to the ground. Today, Lincoln Highway motorists still enjoy the view of "3 states and 7 counties" as they travel over the Allegheny Mountain summit.
| HM Number | HM15JC |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Lincoln Highway series |
| Tags | |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Thursday, September 25th, 2014 at 7:58am PDT -07:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 17T E 691229 N 4434292 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 40.03720000, -78.75860000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 40° 2.232', W 78° 45.516' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 40° 2' 13.92" N, 78° 45' 30.96" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 814 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 100-198 Lincoln Highway, Schellsburg PA 15559, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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