Rezoned and Repurposed: The Shiphouse
image from: http://shiponthebay.com/
It’s hard not to do a double take when you see this ship beached precariously on a rocky shore on Lake Erie, emerging from a woodland forest – is that for real?
image from: http://shiponthebay.com
Indeed, it is. The Benson Ford was a real-world shipping vessel built in Michigan in 1924, for use by the Ford Motor Company.
image from: http://shiponthebay.com/history.html
The ship actively roamed the Great Lakes hauling iron ore for over 50 years until it was decommissioned in December of 1981. At that time it was renamed the John Dykstra II in order for the original name to be used on a newer ship.
So how did it end up here?
image from: http://shiponthebay.com
The boat was sold for use as a barge, but the new owner had a change of heart and instead opted for a very unconventional use: a private home.
