The parks and recreation department of Meridian and city council are working together to preserve the dentzel carousel, one of meridian’s historic landmarks. The building that houses the carousel needs major roof repair.
“We can’t patch anymore. We need to go out and research the money and work with the council and make sure we can get it back to its original stature.”
Built in 1896 by Gustav Dentzel of Philadelphia, MS, for the 1904 St. Louis exposition, the carousel holds significant historical value that the department wishes to maintain.
“Being on a historical landmark, we have people from all over the world coming to look at it. I think it’s good for us to be able to restore it to its present value to make sure that for years even after I’m gone that it still has that desire for people to come and visit.”
In 1909, the city of meridian purchased the carousel for $2,000. Today, as one of the few remaining original examples of Dentzel’s craftmanship, the carousel is worth millions of dollars. But despite its price value, it still remains a part of the community.
“We have a lot of birthday parties in there during the weekends. During the summer it’s open to the public. People love to come in and ride the carousel, get some cotton candy and some popcorn. But it’s one of the best kept secrets in the park.”
The parks and recreation department is currently estimating the cost of repair work. City council will determine whether or not to allocate a portion of its budget to the project at its next work session.
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