On July 20, 1970, the Save Lucy Committee accomplished what many thought was impossible: moving Lucy the Elephant from Cedar Grove Avenue to her current home at Decatur Avenue, saving the beloved landmark from demolition.
By the late 1960s, Lucy had fallen into severe disrepair and faced the wrecking ball. In response, a group of determined Margate residents, led by Edwin T. Carpenter, formed the Save Lucy Committee in 1969. The group was given just 30 days to either relocate the aging elephant or cover the cost of demolishing her.
Volunteers launched a door-to-door fundraising campaign that generated enough support to finance the ambitious project.
On July 20, 1970, Lucy — weighing approximately 90 tons and standing six stories tall — was carefully lifted onto a trailer and towed about 100 yards down Atlantic Avenue to her new location at the corner of Atlantic and South Decatur avenues.
Once the move was complete, Lucy underwent an extensive restoration. The structure was reinforced with steel, significant repairs were made throughout the building, and a replica howdah was constructed to replace the deteriorated original atop her back.
The image of a six-story elephant rolling down a beachside avenue is almost impossible to imagine today. Fortunately, the extraordinary move was documented by photographer Jack Boucher for the Historic American Buildings Survey, preserving one of the most remarkable moments in South Jersey history.
More than five decades later, the decision to save Lucy continues to pay dividends. Today, she stands stronger than ever as one of the nation’s National Historic Landmarks and the oldest surviving roadside attraction in the United States. What was once a desperate effort to preserve a crumbling landmark has become an enduring example of what a community can accomplish when people come together to protect their history.
Lucy remains one of the Jersey Shore’s most recognizable icons, welcoming visitors from around the world and serving as a lasting symbol of Margate’s history, resilience and community spirit.
Photo credit: These 1970 photos were taken for the National Park Service’s Historic American Buildings by Jack Boucher.
