The 1924 Dentzel Carousel has been in storage since 1998. It could soon have a new lease on life in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.
Rocky Springs Carousel Association has inked a letter of intent with the local Choo Choo Barn Foundation train display, which would revive one of America’s oldest hand-carved wooden carousels after years of inactivity.
The Carousel first began life as early as 1895 at Rocky Springs Park in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, originally running on steam before being converted to electric power in 1903. The next drastic change came in 1924, when the Carousel was enlarged at Dentzel Company’s factory to accommodate three horses per row and all of the latest technologies of the twenties.
Wrought by Rocky Springs Park’s instability and eventual closure in 1984, the Carousel briefly moved to Michigan’s Lake Lansing Park in 1982 before ultimately being leased by Dollywood from 1990 to 1998. A delegation of Lancaster County leadership successfully raised $1.2 million in private donations to return it to Pennsylvania, where it has remained in pieces ever since.
The letter of intent marks the first step in a formal planning process, which will entail fundraising efforts, the design of a permanent Carousel enclosure, and a historical exhibit. Details on the latter will be released in the coming weeks…