201306-w-buildings-shaped-like-animals-lucy-the-elephant

Lucy the Elephant, Margate, NJ
Lucy was the first example of zoomorphic architecture in America, with the patent to prove it. Built in 1882 to sell New Jersey real estate, Lucy then found use as an office, a bar, and a summer home. The patented 65-foot-tall tin and wood construction was meant to be one of a pack, but giant elephants didn’t take off the way the architect intended. To this day, Lucy stands proudly alone.