Scott Simmerman
The Palace of Depression was completed in 1932 and razed in 1969. But a group of volunteers is working hard to restore this totally unique piece of American history. I wanted to start this list to put some of the resources and information in to one place. PLEASE add other content as you wish to.
The Palace of Depression was a building made of junk that was located in Vineland, New Jersey. Built by the eccentric and mustachioed George Daynor, a former Alaska gold miner who lost his fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
This is the facebook page for the Palace of Depression in Vineland, NJ. The people here are the ones doing the restoration of the property and are the main subjects of the videos.
Segment from our History Channel series (produced by KPI) in which we help rebuild this Weird NJ landmark called the Palace of Depression. http://www.weirdnj.com/stories/_roadside05.asp
The Palace of Depression rises again in Vineland, N.J. What used to be a junkyard was built into a unique and interesting house. Audio slideshow by Emma Lee/for NewsWorks
THIS video slideshow is the best of what has been done, so far as I can tell. It chronicles The "Palace of Depression" which was originated from George Daynor, who was the designer and builder of this fascinating enterprise. Rudy Vallee sings "Brother can You Spare a Dime?" and Ted Lewis performs "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town." 1932
Visiting the Palace of Depression in South Jersey - an overview about the site and its restoration.
A walk through the property while restoration is going on. Part One of three
A walk through the property while restoration is going on. Part Two of three
A walk through the property while restoration is going on. Part Three of three
A night time walkthrough of PALACE OF DEPRESSION -- "We found this location pretty easily. On approach we were disappointed to see how much has been destroyed, but over the last few years and over the next 3 years several people have been working on it to rebuild it."
Some Pictures of the place, including the old postcards.
George Draynor completed his castle and opened it, free of charge, to the public in 1932. It became a popular stop-over for tourists en route to Atlantic City that drove nearby. Daynor described his creation as "the greatest idea of originality ever conceived in the history of the world by one man with his two hands." It WAS and will be a really unique place, once again.
