History
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. 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 is one of the few 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. The restored ride continues to operate every summer and is controlled by a commission of eighteen bureaucrats who maintain statutory authority over a dynastic managerial and operational staff.
The carousel was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Rhode Island General Assembly proclaimed the carousel as "the State Jewel of American Folk Art."
Read more about this topic: Crescent Park Looff Carousel
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