Flying Horses Carousel
| Flying Horses Carousel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| National Register of Historic Places | |||
| National Historic Landmark | |||
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| location | Oak Bluffs , Massachusetts , United States | ||
| Coordinates | 41 ° 27 '26 " N , 70 ° 33' 28" W | ||
| NRHP number | [1] 79000342 | ||
| Data | |||
| The NRHP added | August 27, 1979 | ||
| Declared as an NHL | February 27, 1987 | ||
The Flying Horses Carousel is the oldest operating carousel in the United States . It is located since 1889 at the same location in Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha's Vineyard in the state of Massachusetts . It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 .
history
The carousel standing inside a building is one of the few surviving objects from the late 19th century that represents society's desire for entertainment at the time. It has been in its current location in the summer resort of Oak Bluffs since 1889, but was moved to the city in 1884 after it was dismantled in New York . The exact construction date is not known. In 1889 the city administration bought it and moved the carousel to its current location. In 1896 it was sold to Joseph Turnell, who gave it the name Flying Horses, which is still used today, although the horses - unlike other, more modern variants - do not move up and down.
Structure and technology
The carousel offers its guests a total of 20 horses and 4 chariots as riding figures. These are replicas from the book Constructions for Seaside & Summer Amusements, Carousels, Carousel Organs, Fixtures, & c , which was published in New York in 1878 by Charles Dare. The horses had tails made of real horsehair and large eyes made of oxides and cost between 25 and 35 US dollars each (today about 640 or 900 dollars) depending on the desired degree of reality . The two-seat chariots cost between $ 12 and $ 18, depending on the version (today about $ 310 or $ 460).
The carousel is 36 ft (11 m ) in diameter . The rotating platform has an open roof, the 14 struts of which are supported by the vertical poles on which the figures are mounted. The drive consists of an electric motor with an output of 10 hp.
See also
- List of entries on the National Register of Historic Places in Dukes County
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
literature
- Jenkins, Candace: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. ( PDF ) National Park Service , August 1979, accessed on April 23, 2015 (English, accessible via the "NR" button).
Individual evidence
- ^ National Register Information System . In: National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . Retrieved January 23, 2007.
- ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Massachusetts. National Park Service , accessed August 10, 2019.
- ↑ a b cf. Jenkins, p. 3.
- ↑ cf. Jenkins, p. 2.
