Grand View Point Hotel facts for kids

Grand View Point Hotel
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Grand View Point Hotel, 1999
Nearest city	U.S. Route 30, 17 miles (27 km) west of Bedford, Juniata Township, Pennsylvania
Area	1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
Built	1927, 1932
Built by	Louis Franci, Emilio Rosso
Architect	Alfred B. Sinnhuber
Architectural style	roadside architecture
MPS	Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor Historic Resources: Franklin to Westmoreland Counties MPS
NRHP reference No.	97000219
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	listed 1997
Removed from NRHP	January 14, 2002

The S.S. Grand View Point Hotel, also known as the Ship Hotel or Ship of the Alleghenies, was a famous hotel and a fun stop for travelers in Juniata Township, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1927 as a regular hotel. However, it became known as the Ship Hotel after special additions were completed in 1932, making it look just like a ship!

This unique hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This list includes important historical buildings in the United States. Sadly, the hotel burned down in 2001. Because of this, it was removed from the historic places list in 2002.

Building the Ship Hotel

The original hotel was built in 1927. But it wasn't until 1932 that it was changed into the amazing Ship Hotel. Two Italian immigrants, Louis Franci and Emilio Rosso, were in charge of building the new parts. They lived in a place called Turtle Creek Valley.

The idea for the ship shape came from Herbert Paulson, who was Dutch. The architect, Alfred Sinnhuber, was born in Germany. He came to the U.S. in 1903. Both Franci and Rosso likely worked at the Westinghouse plant in East Pittsburgh, just like Paulson and Sinnhuber. Paulson reportedly asked Franci and Rosso to help expand his hotel. He chose them because people from Turtle Creek Valley were known for building on steep hillsides.

Building Challenges

Construction on the ship design began in October 1931. The ship shape was chosen because fog in the valley often looked like the sea. Paulson wanted the expansion finished by May of the next year. This was less than eight months, mostly during cold and snowy weather.

Building the hotel was a huge task. It needed over 63 tons of steel. It also cost about $125,000, which was a lot of money back then! The builders had to drill down 32 feet to find solid rock for the foundation. The hotel was also very high up, over 2,400 feet above sea level. This made construction even harder.

Workers had to dig under the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) to put in three large steel beams. These beams, with concrete supports, made the ship look like it was "riding" on the land. Besides cement and 18 steel piers, lots of wood was used. The outside of the hotel was covered with metal siding. This metal came from at least 22 old car frames! Nails and 72 tons of steel were also used. Water for the hotel had to be piped from half a mile away. Franci and Rosso had a crew to help with all this hard work.

Grand Opening and Later Years

The Ship Hotel opened its doors at noon on May 29, 1932. The opening was a big event! It was announced in the local newspaper, the Bedford Gazette. There were tours, staff inspections, and concerts. Local bands played music, a plane flew overhead dropping flowers, and a stilt walker entertained guests.

The hotel was famous for its amazing views. People said you could see three states and seven counties from the ship! It offered views of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland.

Life at the Ship Hotel

The Paulson family lived at the hotel and ran it for many years. Clara Paulson was the only person ever born on the ship! The hotel offered daily entertainment, including comedians and orchestras. It stayed busy even in winter when it was covered in snow.

The ship was updated several times over the years. It continued to do well even after the Pennsylvania Turnpike was built, which changed travel routes. It remained popular until the 1970s, when roadside attractions became less common.

By 1954, about 2 million people had visited the hotel. Their names filled 20 guest books! Visitors came from 62 different countries. Some famous people, like Calvin Coolidge, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison, might have visited too.

The hotel made a lot of money selling souvenirs and refreshments. This continued from 1932 until Paulson's death in 1973.

After 1978, another family, the Loyas, turned the ship into "Noah's Ark." Over time, the hotel started to fall apart. It sadly burned down in October 2001. The fire was reportedly caused by lights left on to keep people from staying there illegally.

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-606, "S.S. Grand View Point Hotel, Bedford vicinity, Bedford County, PA", 8 photos, 1 photo caption page