Crossing the Alleghenies on the Lincoln Highway challenged early motorists even in good weather, as steep grades and winding roads caused overheated engines and severe vertigo. Businesses arose on the highway’s summits to serve travelers, and one of the most famous landmarks in Pennsylvania and the nation was the S.S. Grand View Point, located half a mile east of this point. For decades motorists climbing the Allegheny Mountain summit and rounding the sharp bend were greeted by the slogan “See 3 states, 7 counties.” Created by Dutch immigrant Herbert Paulson, the site began as a roadside stand and picnic and camping area, then expanded into a castle-like structure with multiple overlooks, cantilevered underneath and anchored by 18 steel beams. A telescope invited visitors to enjoy a view of more than 60 miles. In 1932, reflecting Paulson’s love of the sea, the castle was transformed into a ship complete with observation decks, a captain’s wheel, life preservers, and lighthouses, and it immediately became a famous Lincoln Highway landmark. Paulson kept a log of visitors that included George Burns, Joan Crawford, and Henry Ford. After the PA Turnpike opened in 1940, travelers favored the new superhighway over the Lincoln Highway and business declined. New owners in the 1970’s tried unsuccessfully to revive the site under the name Noah’s Ark. After sitting idle for more than twenty years and falling into serious disrepair, the S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel burned to the ground in the early morning hours of October 26, 2001. Lincoln Highway motorists still enjoy the view of 3 states and 7 counties as they travel over the Allegheny Mountain summit.

Photo: Don Morfe

Photo: Don Morfe

Photo: Don Morfe

New Baltimore, Pennsylvania · USA