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33-416: Declining attendance during the 1970s forced the park to close. The land was cleared for a housing development. The only remaining amusement ride is the completely restored 1895-vintage Crescent Park Looff Carousel , designed and built by Charles I.D. Looff as a showpiece for his carousel business. Crescent Park was founded in 1886 by George B. Boyden, who leased land on Narragansett Bay from John Davis,

66-401: A Wurlitzer 165 music roll system, which replaced the original German cardboard book music system. At least six cassette volumes of recorded music were previously sold at the carousel and have become rare collector's items. In response to noise complaints by the carousel operators and visitors, several of the ranks of pipes in the band organ have been disabled to reduce the music volume. In

99-506: A buyer was located. Concern over the future of the park's carousel grew during rumors that the park would be closed and auctioned off. That year, the "Save Our Carousel Committee" was formed by several Riverside residents, who, after a long legal battle, successfully saved the carousel. The park closed permanently after the 1977 season. In 1979, the Crescent Park property and rides, except the carousel, were sold at auction. Part of

132-423: A magical kaleidoscope effect. The carousel is circled by several rows of wooden benches and a rope fence. Tickets are purchased from a free-standing booth located just inside the entrance and opposite from a small gift and snack stand. Adjacent to this stand is a small exhibit of historical artifacts. Vents at the roof's peak provide natural air circulation. A full-sized hand-carved American bald eagle sits atop

165-634: A new shore dinner hall on the banks of the Bay, capable of seating 2000 patrons. Looff Jr. then opened up the floor plan of the Alhambra Ballroom by installing massive beams in the roof and removing all the interior columns. In 1916, he built a 150' excursion boat named the Miss Looff after his younger sister who had been killed in a trolley accident in New York. In 1920, he purchased the park from

198-471: A notable 1995 incident, carved instruments from the facade of the band organ were stolen. National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark ( NHL ) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500, or roughly three percent, of over 90,000 places listed on

231-746: A scenic railway behind the carousel, and Looff's Toboggan Race on the right. In the background are the Alhambra Ballroom, the Bamboo Slide, and the Shoot-the-Chute In 1900, LaMarcus Thompson built a scenic railway next to the Looff carousel. In 1901, Boyden sold the park to the Dexter Brothers of the Hope Land Company, with Colonel R.A. Harrington acting as park manager. By 1902, a large exhibition hall (326'x 122'x 49')

264-403: A showcase for his business. During this time, Looff built a tunnel-of-love ride called The Rivers of Venice. In 1910, Looff moved to Long Beach, California , and established a second factory there. His son Charles Jr. and daughter Helen managed the company's Crescent Park operations after their father left. Charles Looff Jr. oversaw renovations to the park, including the construction in 1914 of

297-528: Is a National Historic Landmark in East Providence, Rhode Island . The hand-carved carousel was built in 1895 by Charles I. D. Looff at his Brooklyn, New York factory and installed at Crescent Park Amusement Park in the Riverside section of East Providence, Rhode Island. The ride's fifty-foot platform contains sixty-one horses, one camel, two single coaches, and two double chariots. Fifty-six of

330-477: Is one of the ten or twelve remaining in operation. When Crescent Park closed in 1977, the City of East Providence kept the carousel off of the auction block after being pressured by local coalitions in a lengthy legal battle. The restored ride continues to operate every summer and is controlled by a commission of eighteen people who maintain statutory authority over a managerial and operational staff. The carousel

363-463: Is running to this day. He also built the park's first roller coaster, called the Toboggan Racer. A large shore dinner hall was built on the bluff overlooking the Bay. The Riverside area had become well known for its many hotels, campsites, and clam bake sites. This is a view across Bullock's Point Avenue, around 1905, looking at the top of the midway with the 1895 Looff Carousel on the left,

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396-895: The Historic American Buildings Survey amassed information about culturally and architecturally significant properties in a program known as the Historic Sites Survey. Most of the designations made under this legislation became National Historic Sites , although the first designation, made December 20, 1935, was for a National Memorial , the Gateway Arch National Park (then known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) in St. Louis , Missouri. The first National Historic Site designation

429-633: The United States Congress . In 1935, Congress passed the Historic Sites Act , which authorized the interior secretary authority to formally record and organize historic properties, and to designate properties as having "national historical significance", and gave the National Park Service authority to administer historically significant federally owned properties. Over the following decades, surveys such as

462-842: The 50 states. New York City alone has more NHLs than all but five states: Virginia , California , Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York, the latter of which has the most NHLs of all 50 states. There are 74 NHLs in the District of Columbia . Some NHLs are in U.S. commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states . There are 15 in Puerto Rico , the Virgin Islands , and other U.S. commonwealths and territories ; five in U.S.-associated states such as Micronesia ; and one in Morocco . Over 100 ships or shipwrecks have been designated as NHLs. Approximately half of

495-448: The Hope Land Company and operated it until his death in 1925. In 1922, Looff Jr. began to operate a radio station, WKAD, on the park grounds. Following his death three years later, Beacon Manufacturing Company purchased the park after his estate defaulted on mortgage payments. The park was damaged by the 1938 New England Hurricane , with the pier and Comet roller coaster sustaining the most damage. Both were subsequently rebuilt. In 1951,

528-672: The National Historic Landmarks are privately owned . The National Historic Landmarks Program relies on suggestions for new designations from the National Park Service, which also assists in maintaining the landmarks . A friends' group of owners and managers, the National Historic Landmark Stewards Association, works to preserve, protect and promote National Historic Landmarks. If not already listed on

561-623: The National Register, or as an NHL) often triggered local preservation laws, legislation in 1980 amended the listing procedures to require owner agreement to the designations. On October 9, 1960, 92 places, properties, or districts were announced as eligible to be designated NHLs by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton . Agreements of owners or responsible parties were subsequently obtained, but all 92 have since been considered listed on that 1960 date. The origins of

594-568: The Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City, as well as Houston and Fort Worth. In 1905, Looff moved his factory to Crescent Park and used this carousel as a showpiece for customers to select the horses that they wanted on their rides. Most of the figures on this carousel were carved between 1905 and 1910 when Looff moved his factory to Long Beach, California . Of almost fifty carousels that Looff built between 1875 and 1918, this

627-602: The Rhode Island General Assembly. It was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1987. The carousel's foundation was rebuilt in 2000 following a $ 150,000 "Save America's Treasures" grant from The National Trust for Historic Preservation . The ring gear, original to the ride, was replaced in 2010. Crescent Park Looff Carousel Crescent Park Looff Carousel , also known as Crescent Park Carousel or more officially as Crescent Park Looff Carousel and Shelter Building ,

660-548: The United States secretary of the interior because they are: More than 2,500 NHLs have been designated. Most, but not all, are in the United States. There are NHLs in all 50 states and the national capital of Washington, D.C. Three states ( Pennsylvania , Massachusetts , and New York ) account for nearly 25 percent of the nation's NHLs. Three cities within these states, Philadelphia , Boston , and New York City , respectively, all separately have more NHLs than 40 of

693-561: The country's National Register of Historic Places are recognized as National Historic Landmarks. A National Historic Landmark District sometimes called a National Historical Park may include more than one National Historic Landmark and contributing properties that are buildings, structures, sites or objects, and it may include non-contributing properties. Contributing properties may or may not also be separately listed or registered. Prior to 1935, efforts to preserve cultural heritage of national importance were made by piecemeal efforts of

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726-593: The first National Historic Landmark was a simple cedar post, placed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on their 1804 outbound trek to the Pacific in commemoration of the death from natural causes of Sergeant Charles Floyd . The cedar plank was later replaced by a 100 ft (30 m) marble obelisk. The Sergeant Floyd Monument in Sioux City, Iowa , was officially designated on June 30, 1960. NHLs are designated by

759-642: The horses are jumpers. It is among the finest and least-altered of Looff's surviving carousels, serving as a showcase for his workmanship. Charles I. D. Looff was born in Denmark in 1852 and immigrated to the United States in 1870. He built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. From his Brooklyn factory, Looff built many carousels for the East coast and places like the Texas State Fair in Dallas,

792-649: The midway was destroyed by a fire in March 1980. In 1982, the Kelly & Picerne real estate firm purchased the park property from the City of East Providence for $ 825,000 for residential development. However, they agreed to preserve the carousel and beach. The shore dining hall burned down in another fire in July 1984. The renovated carousel was reopened on July 17, 1984. In 1985, it was named "The State Jewel of American Folk Art" by

825-530: The owner of the Bullock's Point Hotel which sat above a bathing beach on the Bay. Several years later Boyden purchased the hotel and changed its name to the Crescent Park Hotel which continued to be operated until 1935, when it was razed to make room for a parking lot for the park. Boyden named the park after the crescent shape of the beach. In 1892, carousel builder Charles I. D. Looff installed

858-611: The park was purchased by a group of park concessionaires led by Arthur R. Simmons and Frederick McCusker for $ 329,390. Many improvements were made during the next 15 years. New rides, such as the Flying Fish (Wild Mouse), the Satellite (Roundup), a Turnpike Ride, an 1860s Train Ride, and a Sky Ride were added, food operations were improved, and free entertainment was offered to the public. The park exchanged hands again in 1966, when it

891-622: The park's first carousel. The ride's building was built on columns over the beach next to the 400' pier that was used by steamboats traveling up and down Narragansett Bay and the Providence River. In 1895, Looff built a second carousel for the park, now known as the Crescent Park Looff Carousel . The ride has 61 hand-carved horses, 1 camel, 4 chariots, and a spectacular German band organ built by A. Ruth & Sohn. This carousel has been renovated and restored and

924-481: The rides center pole. Managerial offices are located in a pavilion annex opposite the main access road which was formerly Looff's on-site workshop. Rides begin and end when a brass fog bell manufactured by PERKO Inc. is rung. The duration of the ride is determined with the help of a small hourglass affixed to the snare drum cabinet of the band organ . It is one of the only carousels in America where riders can play

957-410: The ring game by grabbing a brass ring to earn a free ride. After catching the rings, riders throw them into the cut-out mouth of a clown face painted on a large canvas. Originally, the ride was powered by steam from the park's steam plant. The carousel is currently operated by an electric motor. An Andreas Ruth und Sohn Style 38 band organ , imported from Waldkirch , Germany , provides music from

990-514: Was bought by three Providence investors, Melvin Berry, Max Sugarman, and Joe Paolino Sr. Three years after the purchase, on September 2, 1969, the Alhambra Ballroom burned down. In 1975, the park's ownership group, Crescent Park Recreation Corporation, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. HNC Real Estate Investors, a REIT affiliated with The Hartford National Bank, took over the park and operated the park during 1976 and 1977 until zoning could be changed and

1023-469: Was built on the midway and was used by The New England Association for Arts and Crafts for their annual exposition. The hall was subsequently turned into the Alhambra Ballroom. In 1905, Charles I. D. Looff moved his carousel factory from Brooklyn to Crescent Park, where he designed and built carousels for parks in New England and around the United States. He began to use the Crescent Park carousel as

Crescent Park (defunct amusement park) - Misplaced Pages Continue

1056-666: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Rhode Island General Assembly proclaimed the carousel as "the State Jewel of American Folk Art." The carousel was re-opened on August 6, 2022 after a three year closure due to repair work. The carousel is housed in one of Looff's classic "hippodrome" buildings topped with his traditional onion dome. Sunlight floods through multicolored clerestory windows and reflects off of faceted mirrors to create

1089-684: Was made for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site on March 17, 1938. In 1960, the National Park Service took on the administration of the survey data gathered under this legislation, and the National Historic Landmark program began to take more formal shape. When the National Register of Historic Places was established in 1966, the National Historic Landmark program was encompassed within it, and rules and procedures for inclusion and designation were formalized. Because listings (either on

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