Built in 1903, the Forest Park carousel includes 49 sculpted horses, a lion, a tiger, a deer and two chariots. Photo Courtesy of WRBA
The Forest Park Carousel, a 1903 structure steeped in history and beloved by the community, has been officially designated a city landmark following a unanimous vote by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday.
“This is tremendous news,” said Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association President Ed Wendell, who for years fought alongside other civic leaders, including Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation Executive Director Maria Thomson, to landmark the merry-go-round. “The Forest Park Carousel means so much to countless residents in Woodhaven and across the city. This designation is long overdue, but now that it’s here, we’re thrilled.
“With the carousel landmarked, we know it will be around for posterity, which is exactly how it should be,” Wendell continued.
Built just after the turn of the 20th century, the carousel holds some of the last surviving creations of master wood-carver Daniel Carl Muller, including 49 sculpted horses, a lion, a tiger, a deer and two chariots. It has garnered the love of residents throughout the area, and Thomson calls it the “jewel of Woodhaven.”
“Even when I was a young boy, I knew the carousel was special,” said WRBA Communications Director Alex Blenkinsopp. “I’m elated that the Landmarks Preservation Commission agrees. The Landmarks Law is meant to safeguard our city’s irreplaceable treasures. In this case, the law worked exactly as it should. The carousel is here to stay, and we couldn’t be happier.”
The structure is one of just two remaining carousels crafted by Muller, a German immigrant who settled in Philadelphia and built a total of 12 merry-go-rounds. It was first operated in 1903 in Dracut, Mass. and was brought to Woodhaven in 1972 to replace a different carousel that burnt down in 1966. There, the carousel turned until 1985, when it was abandoned for three years. The structure underwent an extensive renovation in 1988, after which it went through a number of operators.
City Comptroller John Liu found in a 2011 audit that New York One LLC, which ran the carousel until it let its contract lapse in 2008, mismanaged the merry-go-round, as well as another one in Flushing Meadows Coron Park, by overcharging customers, maintaining little to no records of its cash transactions and violating health codes.
Once New York One LLC let its contract lapse, community leaders fought hard to have it reopened. WRBA members worked with elected representatives, including Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) to write letters to city officials and organize rallies to draw attention to the carousel. The WRBA even created a “Save the Forest Park Carousel” t-shirt that quickly sold out.
After 2008, the city issued four requests for proposals and finally selected New York Carousel to operate the structure. New York Carousel opened the venue last Memorial Day, and its director, Ami Abramson, said there have been more than 35,000 rides on the carousel in the past year.
Crowley, who long lobbied the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the carousel as a landmark, too said she was thrilled with the city’s decision.
“Designating the Forest Park Carousel is a tremendous win for our community that once feared it may never spin again,” Crowley said. “Preserving our history strengthens our neighborhoods, and today’s decision by the LPC ensures this historic carousel, carved more than 100 years ago, will remain a beloved attraction in Forest Park for future generations.”
By Anna Gustafson
