District
of Columbia
Washington D. C.,
National Cathedral
All Hallows Guild
Carousel
Making an
appearance for only 2 days each year (1st Friday and Saturday of
May) at the Flower Mart at the National Cathedral is the All Hallows Guild
Carousel. The manufacturer is not known for certain, but the National Carousel
Association thinks it may have been made by the United States Merry-Go-Round
Company in the1890s. If it is a United States Merry-Go-Round Company carousel,
it is only one of two still operating.
The other is in Borough Park in Albion, Pennsylvania. The carousel is a
well-maintained, two-row, portable, stationary model with 9 jumpers, 4
standers, 2 chariots, and 9 menagerie animals including 2 camels, 2 goats, 1
lion, 1 zebra, 2 deer, and 1 elephant. The carousel is on the National Register
of Historic Places.
When we visited
the carousel in May 2022, three animals were not on the platform. Apparently,
they had been removed for restoration.
From the time of
manufacturer until 1941, the carousel traveled with a carnival in Maryland
after which it became part of Sandy’s Amusements where it operated until 1963.
It has been at All Hallows Guild since 1964.
The band organ is
a Wurlitzer Caliola 4328.
For operating time
visit their web site (allhallowsguild.org/programs/flower-mart) or call
202-537-2937.
Regrettably, this
carousel is a perfect example of a piece of history that has been purchased by
a private organization, and one can only view it two days each year. In fact,
when we visited the carousel in May, 2022, because of
the pandemic, it was the first time the carousel had made an appearance since
May 2019.
For additional information:
The National Carousel Association
http://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
National Mall
Carousel
Carousel on the
National Mall
Located
in Washington, D. C. is the Carousel on the National Mall. The carousel is
located on the Mall across Jefferson Avenue from the
Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building. The carousel is a 1947 Allan Herschell. We usually focus only on pre-1930, all wooden
and hard carved carousels, but this one is special. From 1947 to 1972, the
carousel was in Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland. On August 28, 1963,
11-month-old Sharon Langley became the first African-American to integrate the
Gwynn Oak Carousel and the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park (see photo of Sharon and
her father which was originally published in the Baltimore Sun). Sharon
has written a book about the experience entitled, A Ride to Remember.
The carousel has been on the national Mall since 1981.
