Benson Ford
Great Lakes freighters are known for their longevity. Compared to their salt water sisters, lakes boats, as they are called, rust slowly and tend to be around for a long time. Here are two lakes freighters, Benson Ford and John W. Boardman, which may be around even longer than usual. Their hull and engine rooms have been scrapped but their forward deck houses have become lake houses.
Put-In Bay, Ohio is a village on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. It is probably best known for being the site of Oliver Hazard Perry’s War of 1812 victory over British Naval forces, known as the Battle of Lake Erie, and sometimes referred to as the Battle of Put-in-Bay. The bi-centennial of the battle was celebrated last year. Put-in_Bay is also known as the resting place for the forward deck-house of the Great Lakes freighter Benson Ford. The forward deck-house is now a lake house on a cliff high above Lake Erie.
The Benson Ford was built at Detroit’s River Rouge yard in 1924 for the Ford Motor Company. She was 612’ long, 62’ wide and 32’ deep, of 8,626 GRT, and 12,900 DWT. After 60 years of service, mostly carrying coal, the ship was scrapped except for the forward deck house, which featured walnut paneled state rooms, dining room, galley, and passenger lounge designed by Henry Ford for his own use. On on July 18, 1986, the deckhouse was transported by crane barge to Put-In Bay, Ohio and placed on an 18 foot cliff at Victory Point. From the Ship on the Bay website: With recent renovations to the first floor, the structure includes a garage and massive family room, five bedrooms, five full baths, a dining room, living room, reading room, galley, and, of course, the pilot house which offers spectacular views of the setting sun off the western shores of Put-in-Bay. See the video below for clips of the Benson Ford in service.
John W. Boardman
Benson Ford is not the only lakes freighter to be converted to a lake house. The forward deck house of the 1923 built, John W. Boardman is now private “cottage” on Lake Huron near DeTour, Michigan. The 350′ long, 55′ wide, 28′ deep freighter carried cement for more than a half century. The hull was scrapped and the forward deck house was moved to DeTour in 2005.
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Live on Lake Eire most of my life, unlesx I was overseas or another state. Seen many photos, stories, videos on the Benson Ford.
Just people with too much money to waste, can’t really use it in the winter no matter how much heating you have, steel is cold. Like trying to live in a great lakes lighthouse during winter.
The deckhouses of Lakes boats are heavily insulated. I wouldn’t image that they would be any harder to heat than any other lake house on a cliff.
Similar houses can be found scattered around elsewhere. For example, the pilothouse and part of the superstructure of the 1913 sternwheeler Nasookin is now a house near Nelson, British Columbia.
See more here: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMJC3T_SS_Nasookin_House_Nelson_BC