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Big Duck

"Long Island Duck" redirects here. For the breed of duck known as "Long Island duck", see American Pekin. For the baseball team, see Long Island Ducks.

The Big Duck
A building which looks like a large white duck with an orange beak. The duck appears to be sitting on the ground. There is a doorway in the front, below the head.
The Big Duck was constructed in the 1930s to help its owner's duck farming business.
A map showing the eastern half of Long Island. The location of Riverhead, at the base of the north fork, is marked.
A map showing the eastern half of Long Island. The location of Riverhead, at the base of the north fork, is marked.
Map
Interactive map showing the Big Duck’s location
LocationFlanders, New York
Coordinates40°54′25.9″N 72°37′20.6″W / 40.907194°N 72.622389°W / 40.907194; -72.622389
Built1931
Architectural styleNovelty architecture
Websitebigduck.org
NRHP reference No.97000164
Added to NRHPApril 28, 1997

The Big Duck is a ferrocement style building in the shape of a duck. Located in Flanders, New York, the building was originally constructed in Riverhead, New York, and has been moved several times to various locations on eastern Long Island. The building is well-known for its distinctive appearance. This structure inspired the word "duck" to be a common phrase in academic literature used to refer to buildings shaped like everyday objects or describe excessive ornamentation used in graphical presentations of data.

It was originally built in 1931 by duck farmer Martin Maurer and used as a shop to sell ducks, dairy, and duck eggs. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. It is a principal building on the Big Duck Ranch, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.


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