Carousel on the Mall (National Mall)

Carousel

National Mall Location National Mall, Washington, D.C., USA Coordinates 38.889123°N 77.024571°W / 38.889123; -77.024571 Showman / operator Smithsonian Museum Status Under refurbishment, expected to open 2025 Operated 1981 to 2020
Gwynn Oak Amusement Park Location Baltimore, Maryland, USA Operated 1947 to 1972
Statistics
Manufacturer	Allan Herschell Company
Serial number	105948
Type	Carousel
Cabins	60 Horses

The Carousel on the Mall at the National Mall in Washington, DC is an historic Allan Herschell Company Jumper carousel that was built in 1947 for the former Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore, Maryland. It sits In front of the Smithsonian Arts & Industries building and is owned and operated by the Smithsonian Institute.

History

Gwynn Oak Amusement park was a segregated Amusement park in Baltimore, Maryland that served only white patrons until its desegregation on August 28, 1963. It was the site of many nonviolent civil rights protests. The Carousel was originally purchased and installed in Gwynn Oak in 1947 and removed following the closing of the Amusement park due to destruction by Hurricane Agnes in 1972.

Sharon Langley

On August 28, 1963, the same day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream speech" during the March on Washington, DC, 11 month old Sharon Langley alongside her father Charles C. Langley Jr. took a ride as the first African American to take a ride at Gwynn Oak Amusement park when the owners finally decided to desegregate the park following years of nonviolent demonstrations outside of the park advocating for civil rights. Alongside her were two white children, one of whose parents had asked Mr. Langley if he could keep an eye on her daughter while she rode (something unheard of in the segregated world on the United States at that time). While the demonstrations themselves were nonviolent, the public's response to them were not always nonviolent.

8 Weeks prior to the desegregation of the park an incident occurred in which a segregationist mob verbally and physically assaulted a group of around 400 nonviolent protesters in front of the park on multiple occasions. Almost all of the nonviolent protesters were arrested by local police instead of the violent offenders that attacked them. This included numerous members of local clergy and prominent community members. This same pattern had flanked the history of the park since it opened its doors. Black community members and their white allies who fought alongside them for civil rights would not be dissuaded and silenced. So for years to come the pattern continued. However this time the negative media attention combined with an overburdened court system led to negotiations between the city of Baltimore and the owners of Gwynn Oak. The resolution was that the park would officially desegregate.

Installation on the National Mall

Following damages caused by Hurricane Agnes, Gwynn Oak Amusement Park shut its doors after deeming the damage too expensive to repair amidst declines in attendance as thrill seekers sought out larger Amusement parks. In 1981 the carousel was purchased for the National Mall in Washington, DC. Although the Carousel was known to have come from a formerly segregated park, the story was largely buried in history. Year after year thousands would ride the Carousel without any idea that they were riding on an actual piece of history. In 2011 that history came to light when author Amy Nathan accidentally stumbled across the history during an unrelated project. Recognizing the importance of this history Nathan published a book titled Round & Round Together: Taking A Ride Into Civil Rights History which highlighted the significance of this carousel that was the embodiment of Dr. King's speech just a few miles away. Since then the Carousel has been a celebrated icon of the civil rights movement. It is located just steps away from the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his storied speech.

Present Day

Today the Carousel is a celebrated icon of the Civil Rights movement and a living testament to the importance of desegregation and the continued work to heal and mend the wounds of the past so that they don't continue to mar members of society at large. The horse ridden by Sharon Langley was identified and has since had a brass plaque commemorating the history that took place on that horse. The horse is named "Freedom Rider".

Refurbishment

Currently the Carousel remains closed since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic for a full refurbishment. The Carousel will be returned to its former glory at some point in the near future and returned to the National Mall for all to experience for years to come.

Commemorative Inscription

A plaque sits beside the Carousel commemorating the history of the ride. The Plaque reads:

"On August 28, 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, not far from here. On that same day, this carousel was part of a small but significant victory for Civil Rights about 40 miles away, as segregation ended at Baltimore's Gwynn Oak Amusement Park after nearly a decade of protests there. The first African American child to go on a ride at Gwynn Oak that day was 11-month-old Sharon Langley. With her father Charles Langley, Jr., by her side, she took a spin on the park's carousel, as news reporters snapped photos. In 1981, the Gwynn Oak carousel S.N. 105948, a classic, built by the Allan Herschell Co., was relocated here to the National Mall, where it has always been open to everyone and stands as a symbol of the harmony of which Dr. King dreamed."

Children's Book

The Carousel on the National Mall is featured in a children's book A Ride To Remember: A Civil Rights Story written by Sharon Langley alongside Amy Nathan and Floyd Cooper that tells the history of the carousel and Langley's historic ride.