Elda Castle
Location: Ossining, New York
Year: 1927
Cost: $3.2 million*
The Elda Castle (formerly the Elda Estate) was erected in the late 1920s. David Abercrombie, one of the founders of the apparel business Abercrombie & Fitch, erected the castle. Elda is on 60 acres and took sixteen years to develop (from 1911 to 1927). Elda is built in the English cottage style. The huge estate is nearly entirely composed of cut and living granite. The facade of the house resembles a Medieval castle, with arches and vaults. David Abercrombie gave police permission to use his land for rifle training. Abercrombie’s estate fell into disrepair after his death in 1931.
Elda Castle
SS Ayrfield
Location: Sydney Australia
Year: 1911
Cost: $68.03 million*
The SS Ayrfield was originally known as the SS Corriman, a 1.14-ton steel warship built in the United Kingdom in 1911. The cruiser was eventually converted into a steam collier, and the SS Corriman carried supplies to American forces in the Pacific. After WWII ended, the SS Corriman was renamed SS Ayrfrield. Little did its creators foresee that it would transform from a warship to a floating jungle. In 1972, SS Ayrfield was transferred to Homebush Bay, where Australia sends ships that are no longer required. It floated there for decades, and nature eventually took over. It is currently home to a whole forest of luxuriant mangrove trees.
SS Ayrfield
