North
Carolina
Burlington
Burlington City
Park
Burlington City
Park is home to a beautiful circa 1906 – 1910 three-row Dentzel
carousel which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The
carousel has 16 jumpers, 10 standers, 20 menagerie
animals including one lion, one tiger, one giraffe, one deer, four cats, four
ostriches, four pigs and four rabbits and two chariots. The carousel is
excellently maintained. The carousel was meticulously restored to its near
original condition in 1981 to 1985. We were happy to hear that the carousel is
on a maintenance/restoration schedule designed to keep the carousel in
excellent working condition so that it can entertain children of all ages for
generations.
The
history of the carousel is uncertain. It is possible that some of the figures
are from another Dentzel carousel(s). The National
Carousel Association believes that the carousel was rebuilt between 1913 and
1924 by Dentzel, and it is during this refurbishment
that other Dentzel figures may have been added to the
platform as replacements.
The
original location of the carousel is unknown, but it is known that the carousel
was located at Locust Point, Oak Harbor, Ohio until 1924 when it was moved
to Forest Park in Genoa, Ohio. It was in Genoa, Ohio until 1948 when the
carousel was moved to Burlington City Park in 1948 where it has remained ever
since.
The
band organ is a Stinson 75 which is run by a
computer.
For information on
operating times call 336-222-5030 and/or
access their web site at www.ci.burlington.nc.us/232/Dentzel-Carousel.
The web site also contains a wealth of information about the carousel.
We wish to thank
Mr. Chris Bradsher, Concessions Manager, City of
Burlington Department of Recreation and Parks, for providing us access to the
carousel before it opened for the summer. Chris is very enthusiastic about the
carousel and related much of the carousel’s history. It is nice to see that
this classic Dentzel carousel has a caretaker and
guardian as enthusiastic as Chris. We know that the carousel is in good hands.
Burlington City
Park is a beautifully groomed and maintained park that provides many activities
for children and adults. City Park is just one of many facilities administered
by the Department of Recreation and Parks.
For Further
Information:
City of Burlington
(NC), Department of Recreation and Parks
http://www.ci.burlington.nc.us/232/Dentzel-Carousel
The National
Carousel Association
http://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
The Lead Horse
A
selection of Rounding Boards, below
Stinson 75 Band Organ, below
Charlotte
Carowinds
Carowinds
Amusement Park in Charlotte on the border of South Carolina and North Carolina
is home to an excellently maintained 1923 Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC)
(#67) four-row carousel with 48 jumpers, 20 standers, and 2 chariots. The
outside three rows are populated with jumpers while the inside row has smaller
standers. It has been hypothesized that some of the horses may have been carved
by John Zalar since he was working for PTC at the
time the carousel was manufactured.
The carousel was
originally located in Pleasure Park, Evansville, Indiana
from 1923 to 1936 and in Mesker Park, Evansville,
Indiana from 1936 to 1973. The carousel has been at Carowinds since 1973.
The carousel does not have an accompanying band organ.
Carowinds is a beautifully groomed and spotlessly clean
amusement park offering family fun and entertainment for nearly 45 years.
Carowinds has nearly 60 rides of all thrill levels for all age groups. In
addition to the many rides, Carowinds has a water park (Carolina Harbor
Waterpark), a campground (Camp Snoopy), a hotel, entertainment, and Carolina
cuisine!
For information on operating times, access Carowinds web
site at www.Carowinds.com or call
the park at 704-588-2600.
We wish to thank Lisa Stryker for arranging our visit and Patrick Wisniewski for
escorting us to the Carousel and telling us the history of the park.
For further information:
The National
Carousel Association
http://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Two PTC Signature
Horses
Newton
Pin Station
In a most unsuspecting
location, a bowling alley named the Pin Station, will be found a gorgeous and
fully restored late 1920s, three-row, portable Allan Herschell
carousel with 36 jumpers (including two kiddie horses) and two chariots.
The band organ is
a Wurlitzer 105.
The history of
where the carousel had been previously located is unknown. It was probably part
of a traveling carnival. It is known that the carousel was stored in Conover,
North Carolina from about 1985 to 2010 when it was purchased and installed in
the Pin Station.
Although the
carousel only operates on weekends, it can be seen at any time the Pin Station
is open. Kathy was so kind and generous with her time in showing us the
carousel and telling us what was known about its history.
You can bowl, play
miniature golf, ride a classic carousel and eat at the Pin Station!
For hours and
other information call 828-466-2695 or access their website at www.pinstationbowling.com.
For further
information:
The National
Carousel Association
http://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Raleigh
The residents of
Raleigh are lucky to have two beautiful and classic carousels.
Pullen Park
The carousel in
Pullen Park is a beautifully restored and maintained three-row, 1912, two-level
Dentzel Model 106 with 19 jumpers, 10 standers, and
23 menagerie animals including four cats, one deer, one mule, four ostriches,
four pigs, four rabbits, two giraffes, one tiger, one lion and one goat. There
are two chariots on the platform. The carving of the figures was supervised by
master carver Salvatore Cernigliaro.
The band organ is
a 1924 Wurlitzer Model 125.
The carousel is on
the National Register of Historic Places.
The carousel was
originally in Bloomsbury Park in Raleigh from 1912 to 1921 when it was moved to
Pullen Park where it has resided ever since. It is housed in a beautiful
climate-controlled building constructed in 2011.
Rides are $1.00.
The employees at
the carousel are very friendly and accommodating. While we were photographing
the carousel, the young operator came up to us and asked us if we wanted to
know anything about the history of the carousel. We had a lengthy conversation
about the Pullen Park carousel and carousels in general.
Pullen Park is the 5th oldest
amusement park in the United States. It was founded in 1887 when Richard
Stanhope Pullen gifted part of his farmland, a “cow pasture”, to the city of
Raleigh. The first carousel at the park was a steam driven carousel that was
installed in 1915 to be replaced by the Dentzel model
in 1921. Pullen Park served the White population of segregated Raleigh.
For operating
hours call 919-996-6468 or visit their web site at www.raleighnc.gov/arts/content/PRecRecreation/Articles/PullenParkCarousel.html.
For further
information:
The National
Carousel Association
http://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
John Chavis
Memorial Park
John Chavis
Memorial Park is home to a beautiful and fully restored early 1920s Allan Herschell #2 Special three-row carousel with 36 jumpers,
four standers (kiddie aluminum horses) and 2 chariots.
The band organ is
a 1924 Wurlitzer Model 146-A.
The carousel has been located in John Chavis Memorial Park since 1937. It was
previously part of a traveling carnival in North Carolina.
Rides are $1.00.
John Chavis
Memorial Park was established in 1938 as an amusement park and recreation area
for Raleigh’s segregated African American population which did not have access
to the White only Pullen Park.
For operating hours
call 919-996-3286 or access their web site at www.raleighnc.gov/arts/content/PRecRecreation/Articles/PullenParkCarousel.html.
For further
information:
The National
Carousel Association
http://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Rocky Mount
Sunset Park in
Rocky Mount, North Carolina is home to a 1920s, three-row Spillman Engineering
carousel. The National Carousel Association reports that for the past several
years, the carousel has been operating with only two rows. The carousel
operates only during the summer and has limited hours. We have not visited this
carousel.
Shelby
Shelby Carrousel
In Shelby City
Park in Shelby, North Carolina is a 1920s portable Spillman Engineering
carrousel with three rows of 36 jumpers and two chariots. Three of the horses
are hand-carved replacements, and the chariots are hand carved replicas. The
carousel underwent a complete restoration in the late 1980s. The sign on the
carousel says “Herschell Spillman”, but the National
Carousel Association has determined it was manufactured by the Spillman
Engineering Company.
The band organ is
a 1923 Artizan Style A-2 which plays Wurlitzer 125
rolls.
The original location
of the carousel is unknown but was in the possession of Atomic Rides and
Amusements, Charleston, South Carolina until 1951 when it was purchased by
contributions from the First National Bank, the Union Trust Company, J. E. Strates and Dr. J. S. Dorton for the city. It has been in
Shelby City Park since 1952.
Rides are $0.50.
Check out the
Restoring the Dream video at https://vimeo.com/channels/650105.
The carousel is
open all year since it is housed in a beautiful climate-controlled building,
the Anne Dover Bailey Carrousel Pavilion.
We arrived at the
carousel before it opened for the day, but we were fortunate to have met Tommy
Forney, Amusement Supervisor for the City of Shelby Parks and Recreation
Department, who is also a carousel buff. He gave us a tour of the carousel
while relating its history. Mr. Forney was supervisor of the 1980s restoration
project. We are very grateful for Tommy’s hospitality. The carousel is lucky to
have Tommy as its “guardian” and “caretaker”.
For hours of
operation and other information, call 704-484-6476 or access their web site at www.cityofshelby.com/parks.
For further
information:
The National
Carousel Association
http://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
