Benson Ford Shiphouse

Perched high on a cliff above the waters of Lake Erie, the Benson Ford Shiphouse looks at first like a freighter frozen in motion, stranded far from the harbor. From the shoreline below, you can see the steel bow jutting proudly toward the horizon, its riveted sides and porthole windows looking ready to set sail. But instead of churning through waves, this ship now overlooks them—a home with a story as unusual as any vessel’s voyage.

The ship began life in 1924 as the Benson Ford, a massive ore carrier built for the Ford Motor Company and named after Henry Ford’s grandson. For decades it hauled iron ore and coal across the Great Lakes, fueling the industrial heart of America. Its decks echoed with the footsteps of sailors, its cabins filled with the hum of machinery and the rhythm of lake storms. After more than fifty years of service, the ship was finally retired in 1981, destined for scrap.

But that wasn’t the end. Instead of being dismantled piece by piece, the Benson Ford was reborn. Its forward superstructure—the part of the ship that once housed the crew’s quarters and guest staterooms—was cut away and carefully hoisted onto a cliff at South Bass Island, near Put-in-Bay. There it became something entirely new: a house.

Step inside today, and the home still feels like a ship, only warmer, more intimate. The 7,000-square-foot interior includes five stories of living space, with five bedrooms and five bathrooms tucked into the ship’s original framework. The old captain’s quarters serve as the master suite, its windows looking out across Lake Erie like a private wheelhouse. The galley kitchen remains functional, modernized just enough to suit daily life while keeping its nautical soul. A wood-paneled dining room still gleams with its original 1920s craftsmanship, perfect for long meals where guests feel like passengers on a never-ending voyage.

Elsewhere, there are lounges with brass fittings and leather chairs, a reading nook set against the curve of the bow, and wide portholes that frame endless views of water and sky. Outside, expansive decks double as patios, with the lake spread out below like an infinite backyard.

Today, the Benson Ford Shiphouse is more than just a curiosity. It is a fully lived-in home, a private retreat that hosts family gatherings, quiet mornings, and summer nights filled with lake breezes. To visitors gazing up from the water, it’s a marvel—a freighter that climbed onto land and chose to stay. To those who know its story, it’s a reminder that even when a ship’s journey seems to end, it can chart an entirely new course.