The S.S. Grand View Point Hotel

The Lincoln Highway's most famous landmark was the Ship Hotel located in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Before the full-size ship was constructed, the Allegheny Mountain curve housed a roadside stand offering refreshments to early motorists, and water to cool their engines. See large picture.

The architecture of the Grand View Point Hotel began as an open-aired castle courtyard; in 1932 it was transformed into the shape of a steamer ship. The Ship Hotel came complete with a dining room, living quarters, and observation decks to view the three states and seven counties from the Allegheny Mountainside.

Some famous guests of the Ship were Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, J.P.Morgan, Will Rogers, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Calvin Coolidge, just to name a few. Tourists and local residents ventured to the grand ship for dining and entertainment. The ship thrived through the 1930s, yet business drastically declined with the unveiling of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1940.

The Paulson family sold the ship to Jack and Mary Loya in 1978. The new owners renamed the ship, Noah's Ark. Although the Ark has been closed for almost twenty years, today's motorists still stop to enjoy the breathtaking view atop the Allegheny Mountains.

Even though the Ship fell into disrepair, the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor receives more telephone calls and e-mails regarding this once grand hotel. The Management Action Plan of the LHHC called for an effort to "Save Our Ship".

Today, there's not much to see at the site except "three states and seven counties"; but, the memories of the Grand View Point linger on ... memories of dining, dancing, ice cream cones, and spectacular views. You can bet if just one or two cars park along the Ship, in a matter of minutes there will be four or five cars, each sharing Ship stories.

UPDATE:
On October 26th, 2001 at 2:30 AM, the structure of the once grand Ship burned to the ground with the cause of the blaze unknown. The S.S. Grandview Ship Hotel was considered by many to be the most recognized landmark of the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania, and an icon of the entire stretch of the Lincoln Highway, the Ship Hotel will be sadly missed.