• Source: Palace of Depression

The Palace of Depression (or Palace Depression) was a building made of junk that was located in Vineland, New Jersey, built by the eccentric George Daynor, a former Alaska gold miner who lost his fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This amusement was known as "The Strangest House in the World" and the "Home of Junk" and was built as a testament of willpower against the effects of The Great Depression.




History






= Beginnings

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George Daynor claims that he was guided to New Jersey by an angel, who provided the design for the palace. Completed on Christmas Day 1932, the palace was built on 4 acres (16,000 m2) which cost him four dollars. Daynor said that his palace was "the greatest piece of originality ever brought about in the history of Man." He would charge 25 cents for a tour.
Daynor was a publicity hog and claimed to be "the most photographed man in the world." After Peter Weinberger was kidnapped on 4 July 1956, Daynor called the FBI and falsely reported that the kidnappers had visited the palace. The FBI followed the false claim and Daynor was imprisoned for a year.
The Palace of Depression was linked with another disappearance, that of William Ebeneezer Jones III, who went missing in 1962; the grounds of the Palace of Depression were dug up, but no body was ever found.




= Decline

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Daynor died a pauper in 1964 at a reported 104 years old. After Daynor's death, a fire destroyed the Palace of Depression and Vineland razed it in 1969.




= Restoration

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As of 2001, a city restoration project to rebuild the Palace of Depression was in progress. Local companies and individuals were encouraged to volunteer materials and labor. Kevin Kirchner initially started the effort in 1998 and has led the restoration effort since its beginning. It took about three years just to obtain the permits and clear the wooded property before actual re-construction of The Palace began in 2001.
Kirchner and his son, Kristian, raised money and worked with a team of volunteers to rebuild it. Kevin passed away in December of 2021 from COVID-19; his son died the following year from complications due to leukemia. They never got to officially open the grounds and welcome tourists.




In popular culture


In 1938 George Daynor made a film about his park entitled The Fantastic Castle.
The 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers references the Palace of Depression.
The Trenton rock n' roll band the Cryptkeeper Five titled a 2006 album Rise of the Palace Depression.




Notes






References






External links


The Palace of Depression Official Site
RoadSide America entry
The Fantastic Palace, a documentary about the Palace of Depression, on IMDb
Coilhouse.
Spaces Archives

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