Spencer Park Dentzel Carousel
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The Cass County Dentzel Carousel, formerly known as the Spencer Park Dentzel Carousel and also known as the Riverside Park Dentzel Carousel or Logansport Carousel, is a historic
carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...
in Riverside Park of
Logansport, Indiana Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,366 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana at the junction of the Wabash River, Wabash an ...
. Built by the
Dentzel Carousel Company The G.A. Dentzel Company was an American builder of carousels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. History Its founder, Gustav Dentzel, had immigrated to the United States in 1864, from Germ ...
, probably by 1900, it is one of the company's oldest surviving
menagerie A menagerie is a collection of captive animals, frequently exotic, kept for display; or the place where such a collection is kept, a precursor to the modern zoo or zoological garden. The term was first used in 17th-century France, referring to ...
-style carousels, with animals likely hand-carved by George Dentzel. It was declared a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1987. and  


Description and history

The carousel is now located in the playground area of Logansport's Riverside Park, in a utilitarian multisided building. It is in diameter, with animals arrayed three abreast on its sixteen spreading platforms. The animals depicted include deer, giraffes, a lion and a tiger, and a variety of horses. There are four two-seat chariots. The carousel includes its original mechanism for dispensing rings, in which the recipient of the brass ring is awarded a free ride. The organ and power plant (electric now, but originally steam) are of uncertain provenance, and may not be original. The exact construction date of the carousel is not known. It has been estimated to have been built c. 1900-1903, but may be older. It was apparently built for the Fort Wayne Consolidated Railway Company, which operated Robison Park, an amusement park outside
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...
. The park closed in 1919, and the carousel was then moved to Logansport, where it operated in Spencer Park for many years. In 1949 it was moved to Riverside Park, and in 1972 it was purchased by the non-profit Cass County Carousel. In 1993 it underwent a complete restoration, in which its original paint job was restored. Two other existing
Dentzel Carousel Company The G.A. Dentzel Company was an American builder of carousels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. History Its founder, Gustav Dentzel, had immigrated to the United States in 1864, from Germ ...
carousels are also declared National Historic Landmarks. The
Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building The Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building is a carousel and building in Highland Park in Meridian, Mississippi. Manufactured about 1896 for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition by the Dentzel Carousel Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvan ...
survives in Mississippi and the
Broad Ripple Park Carousel 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 collapse ...
is in Indianapolis.


See also

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Amusement rides on the National Register of Historic Places List of amusement rides, Amusement rides currently and previously listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) are located throughout the United States. These ride listings consist mainly of 54 carousels (49 listed and 5 deli ...
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Indiana National Historic Landmarks in Indiana represent History of Indiana, Indiana's history from the Native American era to its early European settlers and motor racing. There are 44 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in the state, which are located i ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Cass County, Indiana __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Cass County, Indiana. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Cass County, Indiana, ...


References


External links

{{National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Amusement rides introduced in 1919 Amusement-related National Historic Landmarks Buildings and structures in Cass County, Indiana Carousels on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Logansport, Indiana National Historic Landmarks in Indiana National Register of Historic Places in Cass County, Indiana Tourist attractions in Cass County, Indiana