How many times has this merry gone 'round in 95 years?

Sue Scheible, The Patriot Ledger
Updated ·4 min read

HULL − For people lucky enough to have a carousel nearby, it can be a ticket to endless summer.

The minute the music begins and the painted steeds start to slowly rise and fall is a trip back in time. An invitation to nostalgia and happy childhood memories.

"I can still remember going to Hull in the summer when I was a child in Boston," Muriel Savoy Moloney, who turns 93 on July 19, said. "We took the boat from Rowes Wharf, sat on the beach and then later in the day went over to the merry-go-round. And after I moved to Weymouth, I took my children there and they loved it too.

Mom Lindsay Sampson, of Rockland, and 3-year-old daughter Aubrey take the first ride of the year. Mother's Day is the traditional opening of the Paragon Carousel in Hull. The 1928 carousel, run by the Friends of the Paragon Carousel, has 66 horses for kids to ride.
Mom Lindsay Sampson, of Rockland, and 3-year-old daughter Aubrey take the first ride of the year. Mother's Day is the traditional opening of the Paragon Carousel in Hull. The 1928 carousel, run by the Friends of the Paragon Carousel, has 66 horses for kids to ride.

She cried when it stopped and she had to get off

"My daughter Pattie didn't ever want to get off the merry-go-round, which of course we had to. She cried when it stopped."

The Friends of the Paragon Carousel in Hull have been working for more than 25 years to make sure that storied carousel, built in 1928 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co., keeps on turning. In the past, the carousel, with horses, chariots, and scalloped canopy, has drawn 100,000 visitors in a single summer.

Marie Schleiff, past president, often uses the word "resiliency" to describe the repeated restoration and preservation campaigns the Friends have mounted.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, the Friends will celebrate the carousel's 95th birthday with free cake and festive activities. Everyone 90 and above, or "close to it," will also be treated to an ice cream and a ride and will hear "the magnificent Gavioli Fairground Organ," built in England in 1897. Nonagenarian John Peruzzi of Weymouth will cut the cake.

Schleiff, 75, a retired teacher, has invited several South Shore residents in their 90s from Hull and Weymouth to drop by.

"Who has more resiliency?" she asked. "The passionate dedication of many people has made the 95th birthday possible."

The carousel was saved from auction in 1985 after Paragon Park closed by the nonprofit Friends group, which has used the money from operations, donations and fundraising to restore it at 1 Wharf Ave. on Nantasket Beach.

Restoration artist James Hardison has restored not only the horses but also the carousel's two Roman chariots and the scenery on panels covering the ride's motor.

Restoration artist James Hardison of the Friends of the Paragon Carousel works on one of the 66 bass wood horses of the carousel on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. The horses were made in 1928 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. Hardison has restored 50 of the 66 horses over the last decade plus.
Restoration artist James Hardison of the Friends of the Paragon Carousel works on one of the 66 bass wood horses of the carousel on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. The horses were made in 1928 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. Hardison has restored 50 of the 66 horses over the last decade plus.

How many carousels still exist?

According to the National Carousel Association, some 3,000 hand-carved carousels were built from 1870-1930, the Golden Age of Carousels. Fewer than 150 operate in the world today; they were lost to fires, auctions and park closings, Schleiff said.

Only 19 truly vintage Philadelphia Toboggan Co. carousels remain in their original state and operate today.

What's the difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round?

A carousel is a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other animals, benches, carriages. People may stand or sit and ride, usually to the accompaniment of mechanical or recorded music.

What's the difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round? According to Merriam Webster dictionaries, they mean the same thing and are used interchangeably. They are two of the most iconic rides at amusement parks.

Latest carousel

The world's largest indoor carousel is at the House on the Rock in Iowa County, Wisconsin, with 269 carousel animals, 182 chandeliers and more than 20,000 lights.

In an effort to boost morale during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered all carousels to work again. They had been stopped to preserve important war materials as fuel and electricity.

First U.S. carousel was right here in Massachusetts

The earliest known carousel that worked in America was in 1799 in Salem. It was described as a “wooden horse circus ride.”

The oldest operating platform carousel in the country is the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. It was designed and constructed in 1876 by Charles Dare.

Come take a ride in my hanging basket

The earliest known depiction of a merry-go-round is in 500 A.D. The Byzantine Empire's ride depicts baskets carrying riders suspended from a central pole.

Kristin Sylvester, left, of Plymouth, waves to her niece, Addaline, 2, who is accompanied by her father, Ron Sylvester, of Plymouth, at the carousel during the Kingston Carnival on Saturday, June 10.
Kristin Sylvester, left, of Plymouth, waves to her niece, Addaline, 2, who is accompanied by her father, Ron Sylvester, of Plymouth, at the carousel during the Kingston Carnival on Saturday, June 10.
A finished horse, one of two that pull a chariot, painted and waiting for clear coat.Restoration artist James Hardison of the Friends of the Paragon Carousel continues to work on some the 66 bass wood horses of the carousel. The horses made in 1928 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. Hardison has restored 50 of the 66 horses over the last decade plus. Tuesday March 16, 2021 Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger

Seven historical carousels in New England

The Paragon Carousel (1928) is one of seven antique wooden and metal carousels in Massachusetts, according to Rob Pirozzi, who writes for Travel New England. The other six include:

  • The Flying Horses Carousel, the nation's oldest platform carousel, which has delighted visitors since 1884 in the town of Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.

  • Heritage Museums & Gardens Carousel (1908) in Sandwich.

  • Six Flags New England Carousel (1909) in Agawam.

  • Fall River Carousel (1920) at Battleship Cove in Fall River.

  • Holyoke Merry-Go-Round (1929) at Holyoke Heritage State Park in Holyoke.

  • Cape Cod Carousel and Funhouse Arcade (1957) in Hyannis.

For more information, contact the Friends of the Paragon Carousel, 205 Nantasket Ave., Hull 02045; call 781-925-0472; or visit ParagonCarousel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Paragon Carousel celebrates its 95th birthday with a party in Hull