World Art Utopia

Lucy the Elephant

Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey: a 65-foot gray elephant-shaped building with white tusks, a raised trunk and a red and gold howdah on its back, under a blue sky.
Artwork FileMargate City, New Jersey · United States

Lucy the Elephant

Reported29 Jun 2026

James V. Lafferty; architect William Free · Margate City, New Jersey

Photo: Michael P. Barbella / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), 2014-08-15. Resized; full source framing retained. The share image uses the full photograph over a blurred background; derivative uses the same licence.

Lucy is a 65-foot elephant-shaped building beside the beach in Margate City. James V. Lafferty commissioned it to draw prospective buyers to his coastal land. Source Reported

Reported open Jun 2026. Source This is a dated report, not a new on-site inspection.

💡 4 things to know

  1. A building as an advertisementBuilt in 1881, Lucy gave visitors a high viewpoint over the land Lafferty wanted to sell. Source Reported
  2. A patented ideaLafferty hired architect William Free and obtained a patent for animal-shaped buildings in 1882. Source Reported
  3. Rescued by movingLocal volunteers saved Lucy from demolition. The structure moved to public land in 1970 and reopened in 1974. Source Reported
  4. Stairs inside the legsPreservation NJ describes spiral stairs in the rear legs and a Gothic Revival interior inside the timber frame. Source Reported

📍 Where it is

1 Lucy Plaza, 9200 Atlantic Avenue, Margate City, New Jersey, United States Source Reported

Open in Maps

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1881

    Built as Elephant Bazaar; retrospective official history.

  2. 1970

    Donated and moved for preservation.

  3. 1974

    Reopened after restoration.

  4. 201415 Aug

    Michael P. Barbella's exterior photograph.

  5. 20255 Dec

    Preservation NJ examines Lucy's restoration.

  6. 202629 Jun

    NJ Mom reports tours operating.

Green stamps are dated photographs; amber stamps are records or reports. Publication and upload dates are not camera dates. A dated sighting does not guarantee the work remains in place today.

✅ The facts

Commissioner
James V. Lafferty Source Reported
Architect
William Free Source Reported
Built
1881 Source Reported
Height
65 feet Source Reported
Landmark designation
National Historic Landmark, 1976 Source Reported
Address
9200 Atlantic Avenue, Margate City Source Reported
City
Margate City, New Jersey Source Source Checked

📰 In the press

“We needed to ventilate the outer surface so the wood could breathe.”

Margaret Westfield · The Architectural Folly that became NJ’s Best-known Historic Landmark · Preservation NJ · 2025-12-05

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Photo: Michael P. Barbella / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), 2014-08-15. Resized; full source framing retained. The share image uses the full photograph over a blurred background; derivative uses the same licence.

Last checked: 24 October 2026 · How we verify art