Seabreeze Carousel

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Seabreeze Carousel
Seabreeze Amusement Park
Location Rochester, NY
Coordinates 43°14′00″N 77°32′37″W / 43.2333169°N 77.5435146°W / 43.2333169; -77.5435146
Status Operating since 1996
Cost $500,000 USD
Replaced PTC No. 36
Statistics
Manufacturer Seabreeze Amusement Park
Product Seabreeze No.9
Builder Seabreeze Amusement Park
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Following the destruction of Seabreeze' famed Philadelphia Toboggan Company Number 36 Carousel, the park decided to honor their predecessor, George Long Jr. and his father, George Long Sr. by building a brand new Carousel in the spirit of a Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel. This new Carousel, known as The Seabreeze Carousel, opened in 1996 following the construction of a new carousel building and ride. This carousel is the ninth carousel to be created by the Long Family and their descendants and is sometimes referred to as Seabreeze No.9.[1][2][3]

History

Construction

Following the fire of 1994 that claimed the famed PTC NO. 36, Seabreeze embarked on a multi year endeavour to create their own Carousel in honor of their ancestors who had long been Carousel builders and carvers for generations. To begin this new era of family tradition, a new 42 foot tall 86 foot wide carousel building costing $300,000 was constructed to replace the destroyed structure. This building, while also slightly larger than the last, also included a fire suppression system, roll up doors for a panoramic view of the park from inside the building, but also of the inside of the building from within the park.

TO begin the new construction, Seabreeze purchased the frame of former Lakeside Park (Dayton, Ohio) Philadelphia Toboggan COmpany Carousel Number 31 (PTC No.31), which was constructed in 1914 and operated until the closure of its home park in the 1960s. All wooden parts of the frame were replaced leaving only a few metal parts to remain as an homage to the former PTC No. 31. The horses and other pieces of PTC No. 31 had been sold off to collectors in 1990 leaving just this bare bones frame.[1]

To create the horses, it was determined that fiberglass horses would be a far cry fro the original hand carved horses the Long family had been known for. So, Seabreeze set out to find a master carver to create 40 new horses and two chariots for the new carousel. Operators Rob & George Norris chose to hire Ed Roth of Lakewood California to to take on the 14 month painstaking, detail oriented job of carving these unique horses. A few horses from PTC No.36 were salvaged from the workshop as they had been previously removed for maintenance before the devastating 1994 fire. As an homage to the original history of the Carousel, an armoured horse (a signature of Philadelphia Toboggan Company style carousels) was carved and painted. This unique horse symbolized the original usage of carousels as a training tool for knights before they went to battle while also tipping a hat to PTC.

New center sections surrounding the inner frame, scenery panels, and shields were created by Seabreeze Staff to adorn the new frame to give the ride its signature look and feel. A total of 1,170 lights were then painstakingly installed to ensure a uniform, unique, and elegant appearance fit for royalty. The total cost of the new carousel was $500,000, but was considered priceless for the mourning family and Rochester community.[1]

The Band Organ

J. Verbeek Band Organ

Not only had Seabreeze lost its prized carousel in the 1994 fire, but it also lost a Wurlitzer style 165 Band Organ that was as pristine as the day it left the factory due to the meticulous care of George Long Jr. The family knew that finding an exact replacement would be impossible due to Wurlitzer no longer being in business. After much research, they approached the J. Verbeeck Organ Manufacturing company of Belgium to create a replica of the unique instrument. With the aid of a few parts reclaimed from another former style 165 organ, Verbeeck was able to create a one of a kind instrument to bridge the gap between the past and present. Music rolls were also acquired to continue the mechanical operation that the original contained, alongside newer electronic control components to truly blend the eras just as uniquely as the carousel it played for.[1]

The Famed Red Rockers

Surrounding the original PTC No. 36 were a series of hand built red rocking chairs unique to Seabreeze. These chairs allowed visitors to the park to sit and enjoy the music of the band organ, take respite from the hot summer sun and ups and downs of the park, and take in the sights of the historic carousel. These chairs were lost to the 1994 fire. Unfortunately, there had been no plans left for these chairs and they were in all respects, a unique memory. Seabreeze sought replacements worthy of occupying the sacred space the former chairs had sat in. After three different prototypes, Seabreeze finally found the match. A series of new red rocking chairs were handcrafted and remain a staple of the park to this day.[1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Futrell, Jim (2018). Seabreeze Park. Images of America. John Norris. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781540235206.
  2. "Seabreeze.com".
  3. "Seabreeze Carousel Loss - Newspapers.com - Democrat & Chronicle 1994".