Jantzen Beach Carousel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

C. W. Parker Four-Row Park Carousel
The carousel in 2009
Location1492 Jantzen Beach Center, Portland, Oregon
Builtc. 1904[3]
Built byParker, Charles Wallace
MPSOregon Historic Wooden Carousels TR
NRHP reference No.87001381[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 26, 1987[3]
Removed from NRHPJanuary 4, 2008[2]

The Jantzen Beach Carousel, also known as the C. W. Parker Four-Row Park Carousel,[2] is a carousel formerly installed at Portland, Oregon's Jantzen Beach, in the United States.

History[edit]

The carousel was built circa 1904[3] by C. W. Parker in Abilene, Kansas, for use at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.[4] It was later moved to Venice Beach, California, where it began operating in 1921.[4] In 1928, the carousel was repossessed and its parts were relocated to Portland for the opening of Jantzen Beach Amusement Park.[5] Since then, the park became a shopping mall, Jantzen Beach Center. The carousel was removed during the mall's $50 million renovation in 2012,[6] and reportedly remains in storage on site.[7]

In 1987, the carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with four others.[3] However, it was delisted in 2008 because of plans for relocation to the Portland Children's Museum,[2][8] which never came to fruition. The carousel has been designated "endangered" by the Architectural Heritage Center.[8] In 2012, it was included in the Historic Preservation League of Oregon's list of Oregon's Most Endangered Places.[9]

2015 sale and restoration[edit]

In 2015, the mall's owner, a company called Edens, said the carousel was being "safely stored in a camera-monitored, climate-controlled" building at the shopping center. However, in early 2017, The Oregonian reported that the current owner and location of the carousel were unknown; Edens said the carousel was sold to Kimco Realty, while the latter company claimed its purchase of Jantzen Beach Center included the land and buildings, but not the carousel.[10]

On September 7, 2017, it was made public that the carousel had been donated in spring 2017 to Restore Oregon, a nonprofit organization; the donation had been kept private until the transfer was complete.[11] In 2023, The Astorian reported that Astoria was being considered as a permanent location. A final decision by Restore Oregon is expected by September 15.[12]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 12/31/07 through 1/04/08". National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List. National Park Service. January 11, 2008. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Skinner, Jean (December 3, 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Oregon Historic Wooden Carousels" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Marum, Anna (September 7, 2017). "The Jantzen Beach carousel: A timeline". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  5. ^ Kaza, Paul (August 3, 2017). "Jantzen Beach carousel's whereabouts remain a mystery". The Columbian. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Marum, Anna (June 24, 2015). "What ever happened to the Jantzen Beach carousel? Location remains a mystery". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  7. ^ Marum, Anna (July 21, 2015). "Commissioner Nick Fish found the Jantzen Beach carousel". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Endangered: Historic Jantzen Beach Wooden Carousel". Architectural Heritage Center. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  9. ^ "Jantzen Beach Carousel". Historic Preservation League of Oregon. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  10. ^ Marum, Anna (July 11, 2017). "Jantzen Beach Center sold; carousel location remains a mystery". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  11. ^ Marum, Anna (September 7, 2017). "Jantzen Beach carousel location revealed: Now it needs a real home". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on December 17, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  12. ^ Plechl, David (June 14, 2023). "Astoria could get Jantzen Beach carousel". The Astorian. Retrieved June 15, 2023.

External links[edit]