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All the United States New Jersey Vineland Palace of Depression

Palace of Depression

This Great Depression-era creation was once known as the strangest house in the world.

Vineland, New Jersey

Added By
Lew Blank
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Palace of Depression in the process of restoration   Forsaken Fotos / CC BY-SA 2.0
Palace of Depression in the process of restoration   Forsaken Fotos / CC BY-SA 2.0
Illustration of the original Palace of Depression   Boston Public Library / CC BY-SA 2.0
Objects attached to the palace’s walls   Forsaken Fotos / CC BY-SA 2.0
George Daynor   Boston Public Library / CC BY-SA 2.0
Daynor atop the Palace of Depression   Wikipedia
Original ticket booth   Chhe
Scrap pieces, mural of the palace, and restoration in progress   Map Data © 2016 Google
Jeffrey Tirante, restoration artist   Forsaken Fotos / CC BY-SA 2.0
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
from Modern Mechanix, July 1937   Modern Mechanix Publishing Co.
A lot of restoration work has taken place, as you can see from this picture, taken February 10, 2019.   FrankDiIorio / Atlas Obscura User
A lot of restoration work has taken place, as you can see from this picture, taken February 10, 2019.   FrankDiIorio / Atlas Obscura User
A lot of restoration work has taken place, as you can see from this picture, taken February 10, 2019.   FrankDiIorio / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
A lot of restoration work has taken place, as you can see from this picture, taken February 10, 2019.   FrankDiIorio / Atlas Obscura User
Palace of Depression   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In 1929, the most devastating year in the history of Wall Street, 70-year-old New York stock trader George Daynor was among those who lost his entire fortune. Left with just seven dollars, no hope, and a tinge of depression, Daynor never would have dreamt that he would one day become a world-renowned name.

Directly following the stock market crash, Daynor claims to have been led by an angel on a 10-day, 112-mile hike to Vineland, New Jersey, where the only piece of property he could afford was a seven-acre junkyard situated on a swamp for the price of exactly seven dollars.

One night, while sleeping in the junkyard, Daynor’s angel reappeared in one of his dreams, urging him to use the mud, fuel leakage, bottles, bed frames, and unwanted auto parts on his property to build the “Palace of Depression,” a grand, marvelous home made of mud and junk. And that he did.

From 1929 to 1932, Daynor spent his days eating whatever he could scrape up—frogs, fish, rabbits, and squirrels—all the while constructing a gigantic palace out of dirt and scrap. Daynor built the palace to prove to every American what he learned from experience: that the Great Depression was not impossible to overcome. In Daynor’s own words, “the only real depression is a depression of individual ingenuity.”

Promoted as “the greatest piece of originality ever brought about in the history of Man,” Daynor’s junk house featured 18 towering spires, a massive outdoor fireplace, a circular shell-covered door, and the Knockout Room, where Daynor would allegedly drop a bowling ball atop your head to erase the worst of your memories.

Unfortunately for Daynor, after hearing about a baby who had recently been kidnapped near the palace, he made the false claim that he was the true kidnapper in a desperate attempt to gain publicity. And publicity he got, but not in the way he would have wanted; Daynor was arrested for over a year on charges of lying to the FBI, and in 1969, long after his death, the Palace of Depression was torn to the ground.

Perhaps, though, the Palace of Depression may see a second life. Nearly 50 years after the destruction of Daynor's junk house, a volunteer-led restoration project of the palace is in progress. It is set to be completed in the coming years.

Related Tags

Houses Palaces Makeshift Castles Trash Eccentric Homes Homes

Community Contributors

Added By

lewblank

Edited By

Collector of Experiences, FrankDiIorio, blimpcaptain, pvmjh

  • Collector of Experiences
  • FrankDiIorio
  • blimpcaptain
  • pvmjh

Published

November 15, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2732
  • http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/nyregion/new-jersey/10colnj.html
  • http://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/news/history/2015/06/09/local-history-vinelands-palace-of-depression-was-popular-tourist-trap/28735931/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Depression
  • http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2015/02/local_weird_landmark_the_palace_of_depression_bein.html
  • https://www.google.com/maps/dir/New+York+City,+NY/Vineland,+NJ/@40.1074705,-75.0749316,307400m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62!2m2!1d-74.0059413!2d40.7127837!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c72e8de0d3a839:0x4018e13e57c862e7!2m2!1d-75.0259637!2d39.4863773!3e2
Palace of Depression
265 S Mill Rd
Vineland, New Jersey
United States
39.484135, -75.061204
Get Directions

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New Jersey

United States

Places 158
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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Jersey

New Jersey

United States

Places 158
Stories 33

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