Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building facts for kids
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Highland Park Dentzel Carousel
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Highland Park Dentzel Carousel in 2008
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Dentzel Carousel Corp. |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000863 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987 |
| Designated NHL | February 27, 1987 |
The Highland Park Dentzel Carousel and Shelter Building is a special carousel and its building in Highland Park in Meridian, Mississippi. It was built around 1896 by the Dentzel Carousel Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The carousel was first made for a big event called the St. Louis Exposition in 1904. After that, it was sold and moved to Meridian.
This carousel has been running since 1909. In 1987, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical place in the United States. It's the only Dentzel carousel of its kind left in the world. It has two rows of animals that don't move up and down.
There are two other old carousels nearby in Indiana. One is at The Children's Museum in Indianapolis. It's called The Carousel of Wishes and Dreams. It was probably made before 1900. But it's not a pure Dentzel carousel anymore, as many parts have been changed. Another Dentzel carousel is in Logansport. It's called the Spencer Park Dentzel Carousel. This one was made between 1900 and 1903, but it might be even older.
Discover the Dentzel Carousel
The carousel has beautiful oil paintings at the top. These paintings are like museum art. The carousel is about 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. It has 28 animals and 2 chariots, which are like fancy seats. This means 36 people can ride at once.
All 28 animals on the carousel are carved by hand. They are made from brass and poplar wood. The animals include a lion, a tiger, 2 deer, 2 antelope, 2 giraffes, and 20 horses. They have all been carefully fixed up to look like new.
The Meridian Dentzel Carousel came to the city in 1909. It has been in the same spot in Highland Park ever since. Its building is also a National Historic Landmark. It's the only original carousel building ever made from a Dentzel blueprint.
The carousel building was closed for a big repair project from 1983 to 1984. During this time, the carousel animals were taken out. They were kept in different places while money was raised for the repairs.
From 1984 to 1995, the animals, chariots, and paintings were carefully restored. Experts made sure to match the original colors and designs. They used photos and drawings to help them. A famous restorer named Rosa Ragan from Raleigh, N.C. did this amazing work.
The Carousel Building
The carousel's shelter building was designed using a special Dentzel blueprint. It's a rectangular building about 70 by 75 by 22 feet (21.3 m × 22.9 m × 6.7 m) in size. It has a type of siding called board and batten. The outside of the building looks unique. It has a low, square main part. In the middle, there's an octagonal roof with clerestory windows. These windows are about 40 feet (12 m) wide and let light into the building.
Inside, you can see the original mosaic tile floor. It has a large snowflake pattern in green, yellow, terracotta, and white. The carousel house was fixed up between 1983 and 1984. This was possible thanks to money from the city, donations from "Friends of the Carousel," and grants.
The Dentzel Family and Carousels
The Dentzel family is famous for starting the carousel industry in America. Their carousels are known for their beautiful carvings. Many people say their work was "the finest built," especially before 1910. Some Dentzel carousels were very large, up to 54 ft (16 m) wide. They could hold up to 72 animals and four chariots. These carousels had many different animals, like cats, dogs, rabbits, goats, pigs, donkeys, kangaroos, giraffes, lions, tigers, deer, and ostriches.
Gustav A. Dentzel was a young German immigrant. He started building carousels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1864. People believe he got some parts for his first American carousel from his father, Michael Dentzel. His father made carousels in Kreuznach, which is now in Germany.
Gustav kept building carousels in America until he passed away in 1908. His two sons, William H. Dentzel and Edward P. Dentzel, continued the family business. They kept it going in Philadelphia until William died in 1928. Edward then moved the business to California. But he soon stopped making carousels after the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. He then started building homes in Beverly Hills, CA.
In the early 1970s, Edward's son, William H. Dentzel II, started making smaller carousels for children. These carousels looked like the traditional Dentzel style. They had mirrors, artwork, lights, and music. He continued his family's craft until he passed away in 1991.
Today, William H. Dentzel III, William II's son, and his three children, Zaryn, Sophia, and Noah, are still part of the family tradition. William III's younger brother, David M. Dentzel, has also carved many large horses and other animals. You can find another Dentzel carousel at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. It's inside the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, which opened in 2008.
