Paragon Park Carousel

Last updated
Paragon Park Carousel
Hull Paragon Park Carousel.jpg
USA Massachusetts location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location1 Wharf Ave., Hull, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°16′12″N70°51′26″W / 42.27000°N 70.85722°W / 42.27000; -70.85722
Arealess than one acre
BuiltJuly 25, 1928(95 years ago) (July 25, 1928)
ArchitectCarrera, Frank; Weiss, Gustav, et al.
NRHP reference No. 99001081 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 14, 1999

The Paragon Park Carousel (PTC #85) is a historic carousel at 1 Wharf Avenue in Hull, Massachusetts. Built in 1928 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, it is one of the state's only surviving four-wide carousels, and is the only surviving element of the Paragon Park amusement park. The carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. [1]

Contents

Description and history

the carousel in 2024 Paragon Carousel.jpg
the carousel in 2024

The Paragon Park Carousel is located in southern Hull, on a parcel bounded by Nantasket Avenue, George Washington Boulevard, and Wharf Avenue. Across Nantasket Avenue is Nantasket Beach, a recreation area that has been a well-known summer getaway destination since the 19th century. The carousel is in a stucco-walled single-story twelve-sided building, with a broad bellcast roof. The roof has deep eaves, with exposed rafters. Each face of the building has a garage-style lifting door, above which is a band of four windows. The shape of the building's roof was custom-designed to house the carousel, which has an unusual scalloped top with barrel vaults. The interior of these vaults is painted with a cloud-dotted sky, with the rim decorated with cherubs, cartouches, and international scenery. The carousel consists of a series of wooden sweeps, braced by brackets. All of the horses mounted on the outside rank are stationary, while there are a combination of fixed and moving horses on the inner ranks. There are two Roman-style chariots, each "pulled" by two horses. There are a total of 66 horses, of which 42 move. [2]

The first carousel at Paragon Park was built in 1920 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC). The present carousel was also built by the PTC, in 1928. It is believed to contain elements manufactured by the Dentzel Carousel Company, whose assets were purchased by PTC in 1928. It is one of 18 four-wide carousels manufactured by the company, and one of only two four-wide pre-1950 carousels in the state. A Wurlitzer #146-B Band Organ with a Wurlitzer #153 facade provides the carousel’s music and it is owned by Bill Luca. Of the Paragon Park rides, it is the only still on what were the park grounds; the Giant Coaster still survives as The Wild One at Six Flags America in Maryland. [2]

The carousel was operated as part of Paragon Park until the park closed in 1984. Its parts were auctioned off, but most were purchased by a locally organized preservation committee. In 1986 it was moved a short distance to its present location. It is now operated by the Friends of the Paragon Carousel. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hull, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Hull is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, located on a peninsula at the southern edge of Boston Harbor. Its population was 10,072 at the 2020 census. Hull is the smallest town by land area in Plymouth County and the eleventh smallest in the state. However, its population density is nearly four times that of Massachusetts as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters</span> Roller coaster manufacturer

Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world. Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry Auchey and Chester Albright under the name Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The company manufactured carousels, wooden roller coasters, toboggans and later, roller coaster trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Horses Carousel</span> Historic carousel in Massachusetts, United States

The Flying Horses Carousel is the oldest operating platform carousel in the United States. Located in the historic resort community of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, on Martha's Vineyard, the carousel was apparently first located in New York City before being moved to the island in the 1880s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wild One (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Six Flags America

The Wild One is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. It features a 450° spiral helix and a series of bunny hills that produce a significant amount of air time. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. It operated there from 1917 to 1984. It is the oldest coaster in any Six Flags park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Wharf (Boston)</span> United States historic place

Long Wharf is a historic American pier in Boston, Massachusetts, built between 1710 and 1721. It once extended from State Street nearly a half-mile into Boston Harbor; today, the much-shortened wharf functions as a dock for passenger ferries and sightseeing boats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nantasket Beach</span> Beach in Massachusetts

Nantasket Beach is a beach in the town of Hull, Massachusetts. It is part of the Nantasket Beach Reservation, administered by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. The shore has fine, light gray sand and is one of the most highly rated beaches in Greater Boston. Due to its gentle slope, at low tide, the beach extends several hundred yards in width, forming tide pools that have become a well known, pictoresque characteristic of the site, renowned for their reflections of the sunsets and sunrises. The northern part of the beach is private, administered by the Town of Hull, and does not allow visitors to park except as guests of residents. The beach is a habitat for federally protected species, including the Piping Plover, Least Tern, and occasionally harbor seals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paragon Park</span>

Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. It closed in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elitch Gardens Carousel</span> United States historic place

Elitch Gardens Carousel, also known as Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #6 or as the Kit Carson County Carousel, is a 1905 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel located in Burlington, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holyoke Merry-Go-Round</span> Historic carousel in Holyoke, Massachusetts

The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round is a historic carousel in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Previously a ride in the city's now-defunct Mountain Park, it was purchased and restored by a volunteer fundraising campaign following the park's closure in 1987, and opened at a new building based its original pavilion in Holyoke Heritage State Park in 1993. The carousel is one of about 30 remaining carousels built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. During its time as a stand-alone attraction it has grown to be a key part of the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster</span> United States historic place

Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster On The Beach Boardwalk is a National Historic Landmark composed of two parts, a Looff carousel and the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, United States. They are among the oldest surviving beachfront amusement park attractions on the west coast of the United States. They were listed as a pair as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pullen Park Carousel</span> United States historic place

The Pullen Park Carousel is a classic wood carousel at Pullen Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Built in 1900, the carousel contains 52 hand-carved basswood animals, 2 chariots, 18 large gilded mirrors and canvas panels and a Wurlitzer #125 band organ made in 1924 by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad Ripple Park Carousel</span> Restored antique carousel in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

Broad Ripple Park Carousel is an antique carousel in The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. It was installed in 1917 at an amusement park near the White River in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it remained until the building housing it collapsed in 1956. The ride's mechanism was destroyed, but the animals were relatively unscathed and put into storage by the park's owners, the Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation. The animals were carved by the Dentzel Carousel Company some time before 1900 but were assembled by the William F. Mangels carousel company, which also supplied the engine powering the ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lander Park Carousel</span> United States historic place

The Lander Park Carousel, known also as Parker Carousel, Dickinson County Parker Carousel, or Riverton Park Carousel is a historic carousel in Abilene, Kansas. Built around the turn of the 20th century, it is one of only three surviving carousels out of about 68 built by Abilene's Charles W. Parker Carousel Company, and it is the only remains of the company in Abilene today. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It is now a feature of the Dickinson County Heritage Center, a local history museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crescent Park Looff Carousel</span> United States historic place

Crescent Park Looff Carousel, also known as Crescent Park Carousel or more officially as Crescent Park Looff Carousel and Shelter Building, is a National Historic Landmark in East Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hull Shore Drive and Nantasket Avenue</span> Historic district in Massachusetts, United States

Hull Shore Drive and Nantasket Avenue are a historic coastal parkway in Hull, Massachusetts. Nantasket Avenue, designated as part of Route 228, is the main road through the town of Hull. Hull Shore Drive is a short segment of the road, near the Nantasket Beach Reservation at the southern end of the Hull peninsula. A 1.25-mile (2.01 km) section of the roads was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Allerton Lifesaving Station</span> United States historic place

Point Allerton Lifesaving Station is a historic building of the United States Life-Saving Service at 1117 Nantasket Avenue in Hull, Massachusetts. The service was eventually merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard. The Queen Anne style station was built in 1889 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It is a minimally-decorated building, scaled to fit into the surrounding residential area. Its first commander was Hull native Joshua James, whose heroic career in lifesaving is detailed in the museum. Keeper William Sparrow commanded the station through its transition to the United States Coast Guard in 1915.

Recreation Park is a public, urban park in Binghamton, New York. Located in Binghamton's West Side, Recreation Park is bordered by Schubert Street to the North, and Laurel Avenue to the East, Seminary Avenue to the South, and Beethoven Street to the West. Shoe manufacturer George F. Johnson donated it to Binghamton, and it is home to one of Allan Herschell's six famous carousels. The park also contains a bandstand, statues and monuments, numerous athletic fields and courts, swimming facilities, a playground, and walking paths in a grove of mature oak trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane's Carousel</span> Carousel in Brooklyn, New York

Jane's Carousel is a carved wooden 48-horse carousel in Brooklyn, New York City, built in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) for the Idora Park amusement park in Youngstown, Ohio. It was carved by John Zalar and Frank Carretta, each of whom is attributed with carvings on carousels constructed by PTC and other carousel companies like Looff. The carousel has 30 "jumpers," 18 "standers," two chariots, and a Gebrüder Bruder Band Organ that provides the carousel’s music. Jane's Carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 6, 1975, the first carousel to receive such designation. The merry-go-round is not currently listed in the NRHP database, having been delisted on October 29, 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum</span> United States historic place

Herschell Carousel Factory Museum is a historic carousel factory building located at North Tonawanda in Niagara County, New York. The factory complex was constructed between about 1910 and 1915 and consists of six primary structures and five contributory additions. The primary structures are: the Mill Building, Carving and Pattern shop, Paint Shop and Storage Building, Roundhouse, Machine Shop (1915), and Assembly and Testing Building (1915). Also on the property is the Special Number One Three Abreast portable carousel, built in 1916.

Shellpot Park was a trolley park located in Brandywine Hundred, Delaware that operated from 1893 until 1934. The park was developed by the Wilmington City Railway Company after extending the trolley lines to Shellpot Creek near the outskirts of the city. In its early years, Shellpot Park was little more than a wooded lake and a place to picnic. At the peak of its popularity, the park also featured a miniature railroad, carousel, and roller coaster.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 "NRHP nomination for Paragon Park Carousel". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-05-25.