The only surviving element of Paragon Park amusement park

The Paragon Park Carousel is the only surviving element of the Paragon Park amusement park, located at 1 Wharf Avenue in Hull, Massachusetts. Built in 1928 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, it is one of the state's only surviving four-wide carousels. The carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

The carousel is housed in a stucco-walled single-story twelve-sided building with a broad bellcast roof. The building's roof was custom-designed to house the carousel's unusual scalloped top with barrel vaults. The interior of the vaults is painted with a cloud-dotted sky, and the rim is decorated with cherubs, cartouches, and international scenery. The carousel consists of a series of wooden sweeps braced by brackets. All of the horses on the outside rank are stationary, while the inner ranks contain a combination of fixed and moving horses. The carousel features two Roman-style chariots, each 'pulled' by two horses, for a total of 66 horses, of which 42 move.

A Wurlitzer #146-B Band Organ with a Wurlitzer #153 facade provides the music and is owned by Bill Luca. The carousel is believed to contain elements manufactured by the Dentzel Carousel Company. It is one of 18 four-wide carousels manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, and one of only two four-wide pre-1950 carousels in the state.

After Paragon Park closed in 1984, most of the carousel's parts were purchased by a locally organized preservation committee. In 1986, the carousel was moved to its present location. It is currently operated by the Friends of the Paragon Carousel.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons