Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum Celebrates 45 Years of Preserving North Tonawanda's Unique Legacy

NORTH TONAWANDA, NY – September 2024 marks a significant milestone for the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, as it celebrates 45 years since a dedicated group of ten individuals first gathered to envision bringing a carousel back to North Tonawanda. This city, famously known as the "Carousel Capital of the World," produced more hand-carved carousels than all other U.S. cities combined. Yet, remarkably, none were ever permanently established in its parks – an irony the museum's founders sought to rectify.

The ambitious idea was born in September 1979 during a meeting at the Carnegie Art Center. Among those initial ten visionaries, Rae Proefrock and Doug Bathke have remained steadfastly involved in the museum's remarkable growth over the past 45 years. Allan Herschell, a descendant of the founder of the Allan Herschell Company, soon joined their ranks, playing a crucial role in the museum's formation.

The committee quickly identified the original factory building on Thompson Street as the ideal location. The plan was bold: restore the historic structure and install a carousel in its iconic roundhouse. Two pressing questions emerged: how to fund the purchase of a carousel, and how to rally community support? The solution was an ambitious door-to-door campaign across North Tonawanda and Tonawanda. Volunteers walked every street, sharing the vision and asking for a $2 donation in exchange for a yellow ticket, redeemable for a family ride once the carousel was acquired. This grassroots effort successfully raised over $10,000 for a down payment, igniting community excitement.

The search for the perfect carousel led Allan Herschell and the Proefrocks to a National Carousel Association convention. They soon identified a machine believed to be the first ever shipped from the Allan Herschell Company factory in March 1916. This unique carousel featured a blend of history, with inner rows of horses from an early 1900s Herschell-Spillman track machine and outer rows showcasing twelve of the "brand new" 1916-style Allan Herschell Company horses.

Further innovative fundraising, including the memorable sale of peanut-filled chocolate horses on a stick, helped raise the remaining $45,000. In 1982, a triumphant trip to London, Ontario, with three U-Haul trucks brought the carousel home. Volunteers were greeted by a cheering crowd at the factory building, and the carousel's parts were stored at Gratwick School for the winter, where high school senior Al Baker meticulously rewired the entire machine.

The museum's journey gained further momentum when the factory building owner granted permission for the committee to use the roundhouse. After extensive volunteer clean-up efforts, the carousel was meticulously reassembled and painted – a "puzzle" only solved with the guidance of a carnival operator. Finally, in July 1983, the carousel opened to the public on the first day of the inaugural Canal Fest, a pivotal moment celebrating the history of the Tonawandas.

The historic factory building was officially purchased in 1984, marking the beginning of a long and challenging, yet ultimately rewarding, transformation into a full-fledged museum. Volunteers and later paid staff navigated numerous hurdles, from leaking roofs to the collapse of the original roundhouse. However, persistent efforts and generous public and foundation grants enabled comprehensive restoration. Major projects included rebuilding the roundhouse and loading dock, replacing over 100 windows, restoring the original office building into an Education Center, and developing the popular Kiddieland Testing Park Exhibit.

Beyond architectural preservation, the museum has continually focused on developing compelling exhibits that tell the rich story of the Herschell companies and North Tonawanda's band organ manufacturers. An ever-increasing schedule of educational programming has further enriched the visitor experience.

Today, the museum stands as a testament to perseverance and passion. It houses the vibrant Jeanette E. Jones Children's Gallery, once the factory's machine shop, now a lively space with a Kiddie Carousel and interactive activities. The Carving Floor, where "striking yet simple horses" once took shape, now hosts volunteer wood carvers and offers classes. The still-operational, historic equipment in the Wurlitzer Music Roll Department demonstrates the production of paper music rolls for band organs—a collection that includes over 1,600 hand-punched original master rolls, making it the country's only public display of its kind, soon to be housed in a new state-of-the-art Music Hall.

The Allan Herschell Company, founded in 1915, was the most prolific maker of carousels, specializing in portable machines for traveling carnivals. It produced over 3,000 hand-carved wooden carousels, shipping them worldwide. Of the 148 antique, hand-carved wooden carousels still in existence in the U.S. and Canada today, a remarkable 71 were manufactured in North Tonawanda. The company also pioneered "Kiddieland" concepts and developed thrill rides like the Twister and Sky Wheel, leaving an indelible mark on the American amusement ride industry.

The trustees and staff, many of whom have dedicated decades to this endeavor, express immense pride in the museum's growth and the warm acceptance it has received from both the local community and visitors from around the globe. As it looks to the future, the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum continues its mission to preserve and share the magic of North Tonawanda's unique carrousel legacy.