Grumman Carousel

In 1920, the Herschell-Spillman carousel was built upstate in North Tonawanda New York. For years, the historic carousel is believed to have been a mainstay of a traveling carnival. According to Newsday, it was sold to a Bethpage farmers' market around 1950. Eight years later, Grumman bought it and installed it at its Calverton plant, where it debuted at an employee picnic in 1959. In 1994, after Grumman's Calverton operation was slated to close, Greenport Mayor David Kapell proposed acquiring the carousel as the focal point for the town's Mitchel Park, which functions as a town recreation center. Grumman gave the carousel to the town of Greenport in 1995. Stored in a number of temporary locations until it opened at the park in June 2001, the carousel needed very litttle restoration. Today, the carousel is open year-round. Each year, approximately 125,000 people a year pay $1.00 a ride on the 36-horse carousel.

Information from NEWSDAY - Tuesday, January 29, 2008 (It Happened on Long Island)