OUTER BANKS, N.C. (WAVY) -- Was it a bit of paranormal activity, or was something earthly to blame? Either way, this is one event fans might need the "Men in Black" short-term memory zapper for.
The Frisco UFO "spaceship" house, a beloved roadside tourist attraction in the Outer Banks town, went up in flames on Wednesday night. The Frisco Fire Department shared photos of the damage on Thursday morning.
"Sad to report, Frisco lost a piece of history last night," the fire department wrote on Facebook. "The 'Spaceship' is no more."
Firefighters haven't shared what caused the UFO to catch fire, but just two hours after sharing the news on Facebook there were already more than 200 comments of fans grieving the loss of the funky Frisco saucer.
"Part of my childhood is gone," wrote one Facebook user. Others shared how their family would always look for the UFO on their vacation, and stop by for pictures.
The "spaceship" came to the Outer Banks back in the late 1960s as a prefabricated Futuro home. The homes were designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, and advertised to young adults in places such as Playboy Magazine (where it was sold as a kit) for its ability to be moved around to multiple different types of terrain.
And this one had many uses as it moved around the Outer Banks through the years, starting as a oceanfront beach cottage in Hatteras. It would also serve as a Girl Scout meeting house and a restaurant with "out of this world" hot dogs, per a UNC TV article. It eventually found a permanent home off North Carolina Highway 12 in Frisco in 1996.
Owner Leroy Reynolds, who would dress up as an alien to greet visitors at the "spaceship," was just profiled a few years ago by PBS in North Carolina.
0 Comments