Elephantine Colossus, Seven-story elephant-shaped hotel in Coney Island, Brooklyn, United States
The Elephantine Colossus was a seven-story wooden hotel in Coney Island shaped like an elephant, towering 122 feet high. Inside, 31 rooms spread across multiple levels, with a circular stairway running through the middle and separate areas including a grand hall and museum space.
James V. Lafferty built this structure in 1885 as a symbol of success and innovation in entertainment architecture of the era. It was completed two years before the Statue of Liberty arrived, shaping early impressions of New York's skyline for visitors.
The building was a gathering place where visitors explored its rooms and looked out from the viewing platform at the top, making it part of Coney Island's attraction. Its shape combined two interests that drew crowds: exotic animals and modern entertainment structures.
Visitors entered through a back leg that led to a circular stairway accessing all levels of the hotel. One front leg housed a shop, while the wide base provided stability for large crowds moving through the structure daily.
The structure used millions of wooden boards and thousands of nails in its construction, showing how ambitious and labor-intensive the project was. These material quantities made it an engineering accomplishment for its time.
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