World's Largest Horseshoe Crab, Blanchester Ohio

photo credit: Freedom Worshop Babtist Church

In the conversation with Jennifer Stewart, World's Largest Skateboard owner and active fan of World's Largest Things, she mentioned another odd Big Thing in her area - a giant Crab, which is part of the Freedom Worship Baptist Church. 

 

Excerpt from the Wilmington (Ohio) News Journal:

 

(Pastor Jim) Rankin has lived quite an interesting life thus far, and yet there is still more to tell. He is known for his ministry and work in the entertainment field, but he also is affiliated with the "World's Largest Horseshoe Crab," which is housed at his church in Blanchester.

Rankin explained how he acquired the crab. "The giant crab was built by the group that helped design the Tower of Terror at Disney World and that also worked on special effects for the movies 'Star Trek V' and 'The Little Shop of Horrors.' It was built for the Columbus Center Maritime Museum in Baltimore, but to regain revenue, the crab went up for sale and was purchased for the future Creation Museum in northern Kentucky. As this museum was nearing completion, they realized the crab was too big for their purposes, and ultimately our church agreed to take it."

Rankin explained why his church was interested in the crab, "The biblical purpose was to counter the evolutionist claim that all things have evolved because the fossils of the horseshoe crab are still the same. Plus, this animal is a true gift from God, with its blood being used as a clotting agent for disease in scientific research. Thus, the World's Largest Horseshoe Crab is now surrounded by a beautiful scripture garden and fossil courtyard."

The crab is 68 feet long, 28 feet wide, with a 13-foot domed ceiling. It has gained much fame, and on Aug. 30, Rankin's church will even host a Crabfest. The fest will feature a nationally televised firewall motorcycle jump over the crab by Gene Sullivan, Evel Knievel's former bodyguard.