Carousel Press Release - 2021
SEATTLE AREA COMMUNITY BEGINS RESTORATION OF GRAND AMUSEMENT CAROUSEL
In 2020, North Bend Art & Industry (NBA&I) received a charitable donation of a Dentzel-Muller Grand Amusement Carousel. Originally located at Rock Springs Park in Chester, West Virginia, this carousel is believed to be the last off the Dentzel line in 1927.
When the amusement park was forced to close due to highway expansion in 1970, the carousel was sold at auction, and while originally kept together eventually the horses were auctioned separately from the mechanism. However, thanks to a generous donation by The Freely Foundation and coordination by Tobin Fraley the majority of the carousel’s hardware and its operating mechanism were donated to NBA&I.
This carousel has space for three rows of animals and contains artistic panels depicting life in the early 1900s - a time when carousels were the highlight for many amusement parks across the United States.
Leading the carousel restoration project is NBA&I, a regional art center in the Snoqualmie Valley that offers the Seattle Eastside community a place to learn, grow, experience and imagine. It provides a safe space for the incubation of ideas, art education, music, writing and community engagement for all ages and backgrounds. According to Nicole Hansen, Director of the Carousel Committee, “NBA&I intends to create a community project where the majority of the restoration will happen with the help of artisans and volunteers.”
NBA&I Board Members are working closely with the city of North Bend to determine this carousel’s future location to ensure this wonderful piece of art and history can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
NBA&I is actively seeking volunteers to assist with the restoration. We are in need of millwrights, electricians, and artisans familiar with large, early 1900s power transfer systems to help us with restoring the operating mechanism. Additionally, we are looking for painters, carvers, wood workers, and those with an interest in learning the skills to assist with these areas of the project. People with marketing, writing, fundraising and logistics skills are also needed to bring this dream to life.
Update July 2022
The Grand Amusement Carousel was donated to Snoqualmie Valley Carousel.
Read that announcement here!
SNOQUALMIE VALLEY CAROUSEL
…
Press release originally published in Fall 2021 and shared via NBA&I website April 27, 2022.