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The Lighthouse Point Carousel is located in the East Shore section of
New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
in
Lighthouse Point Park Lighthouse Point Park is a park in the city of New Haven, Connecticut that is operated as a New Haven city park. The 82-acre park is located at the eastern point of New Haven Harbor in the East Shore, New Haven, East Shore neighborhood, and afford ...
. The
carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
was built about 1905, and is one of a shrinking number of early 20th-century carousels left in the state, featuring the carvings of Charles Looff and
Charles Carmel Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
. The carousel and its 1916 building were together listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on December 15, 1983.


Description and history

The Lighthouse Point Carousel is located in New Haven's Lighthouse Point Park, near the southeastern top of the city on
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
. It is located in a rectangular building, about inland from the
Five Mile Point Light Five Mile Point Light, also known as Five Mile Point Lighthouse or Old New Haven Harbor Lighthouse, is a U.S. lighthouse in Long Island Sound on the coast of New Haven, Connecticut. Located at the entrance to New Haven Harbor, the beacon's name ...
which gives the park its name. The building is about in size, with a high-ceilinged square section housing the carousel, and a lower-roofed extension that houses concessions. The building has Renaissance Revival styling, with tall window bays articulated by pilasters, and round-arch window bays surrounding the carousel section. The roof above the carousel is topped by a
monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West Vir ...
with
clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
windows. and The carousel itself is a platform style device, about in diameter. It includes 70 figures and two chariots, some of the figures mounted on fixed metal columns, and some on columns that rise and fall with the carousel's motion. The figures appear to have originated from different sources, including figures carved in a diversity of styles. Some of them have been attributed to Charles Carmel of Brooklyn and others to Charles Looff. A figure of George Washington can be seen directing the carousel with a baton. The mechanism that drives the carousel is located at the center, with a decorative fiberglass surround. The carousel was constructed about 1905 by Timothy Murphy. Murphy is known to have "reworked" materials from other carousels, and is believed to have hired Carmel to make some alterations to the figures here. The present building was erected in 1916 by Thomas Shanley, the proprietor who developed Lighthouse Point Park as a trolley park. The park was purchased by the city in 1925, which reduced the number of attractions, but continued to operate the carousel for many years. All of the other park buildings were demolished in 1957, but the carousel was retained, its figures placed in storage. It has since been restored to operation.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven, Connecticut __NOTOC__ This is a list of National Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven, Connecticut. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in the city of New Haven, Con ...


References

{{National Register of Historic Places Renaissance Revival architecture in Connecticut Amusement rides introduced in 1916 Tourist attractions in New Haven, Connecticut Buildings and structures in New Haven, Connecticut Carousels in Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in New Haven, Connecticut Carousels on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut