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Palace of Depression
250 South Mill Road
Vineland, NJ 08360Of all of the roadside attractions along Route 40, this one wins the prize as the most bizarre.
In 1932, George Daynor built a castle out of old automobile parts and mud. The building was dedicated to the notion that with some unorthodox thinking the Great Depression of the 1930's could be overcome. At least that was one of the explanations he gave to his monument of creativity. Twenty-five cents got visitors a guided tour of the place from Daynor, who was considered eccentric by most and downright crazy by others. As part of the tour, Daynor offered to help guests remove unpleasant memories by dropping a massive hammer on their heads. No one is known to have taken up the offer. Considering his eccentricities, writers of the time pondered whether Daynor practiced his own medicine! When he died penniless in 1964, Daynor's palace mysteriously burned to the ground and was eventually leveled by Vineland town officials who found the place an embarrassment. The good news is that the town of Vineland now recognizes the error of its way and is now working to rebuild the Palace as a moneymaking tourist attraction. As one critic of the new plan noted, Daynor is probably rolling in his potter's field grave.
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George Daynor and the Palace of Depression. Postcard ca. 1940.
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George Daynor. Postcard ca. 1940.
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Palace of Depression. Postcard ca. 1940.
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Palace of Depression. Postcard ca. 1940.
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| Posted by: agilitynut on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 9:49:39 PM
Actually, the City is not really involved in the restoration project. It's just the hard labor of a couple guys. And I think Daynor would very much approve of their efforts.
http://agilitynut.com/h/palace.html |
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Last updated: 2010-09-27 20:01:08 |
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