Lucy the Elephant is getting some work done.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Rehabilitation of the nearly 141-year-old iconic structure that long ago beckoned investors to purchase land in Margate will take longer than expected. Due to supply chain issues, the materials needed to sheathe Margate’s beloved Lucy the Elephant, the exterior of the 65-foot tall National Historic Landmark will remain under wraps through summer.
However, according to Richard Helfant, executive director of the Save Lucy Committee, tours of the inside of Lucy will resume on May 27 and continue throughout the summer. Visitors will not be able to access Lucy’s howdah for 360-degree views of Absecon Island and the Atlantic Ocean, however.
Lucy went under wraps last September in the hopes her makeover would be completed by Memorial Day, but a three-month hold up in receiving the metal alloy needed to replace her skin, has delayed completion of the $1.4 million restoration project. It is the largest restoration project since Lucy was saved from the wrecking ball 52 years ago.
The work, which includes covering Lucy’s exterior with Monel, a nickel and copper based metal alloy that will not rust and will withstand the harsh weather and salt air, was partially funded through a grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust and with public donations.
Director of Education and Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Bingaman said the construction team is making progress, but they are running into problems and discovered some rotted cedar wood beneath the many layers of sheathing and paint. Structural engineers were called in to inspect Lucy’s tusks and right ear, which were badly damaged and need to be replaced.
“There’s a lot protecting her, so she should, hopefully, be good for another 100 years or longer,” Bingaman said.
The latest completion date is mid-August or early September.
“It’s a little disappointing but we will have a modified operation,” Bingaman said.
Lucy the Elephant under wraps.
Helfant told city commissioners Thursday, April 21 that the non-profit Save Lucy Committee, Inc. has applied for an additional $750,000 grant to refurbish the interior of the tourist attraction and upgrade her 50-year-old HVAC system when the exterior work is completed.
“With water infiltration over the years, there’s a lot of damage to the plaster,” Helfant said.
He said the Save Lucy Committee is moving forward with its plan to demolish and rebuild the Gift Shop and Interpretive Center, which once served as a train station, starting in September 2023. Plans for that portion of the project were submitted to the Historic Preservation Office but required revisions. Helfant said a scaled down version of the plan will be resubmitted for review and approval, hopefully at the Historic Preservation Office’s June meeting.
“If they give it their blessing, the next step will be to go to CAFRA and Green Acres and we will start construction on that in September of 2023, hopefully to be finished by Memorial Day 2024 and then it will be completed,” Helfant said.
Lucy’s Beach Grill, a small refreshment stand near the beach bulkhead will remain as it is for the meantime. Although modifications can be made to the building, it really needs to be enlarged for indoor seating and a kitchen, he said.
Helfant said he envisions a Lenny’s Hot Dog Stand-styled food truck operation, which could help with marketing the elephant to the public and raising the necessary funds for maintaining the iconic structure.
“Our donor base is getting older…so we have to come up with inventive ways of raising money for Lucy,” Helfant said.
Special events, such as allowing weddings to be held in Josephine Harron Park, could raise the funds needed for annual maintenance of the beachfront structure, he said.
Historic photo shows Lucy the Elephant on the move to her current location on Decatur Avenue.
Lucy the Elephant, which was built by James Lafferty in 1881 to attract real estate investment in what was then called South Atlantic City, was slated to be torn down until a concerned group of citizens formed the Save Lucy Committee in 1970, bought her from the Gertzen family for $1, and moved her from Cedar Grove Avenue two blocks away to her current location on Decatur Avenue. The spectacle took seven hours to complete and is a fond memory of the many Margatians who witnessed the move when they were children.
Over the years, Lucy the Elephant has served as a tavern and a residence for a wealthy British doctor and his family. Today, it is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world.
For more, see lucytheelephant.org.
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