National Historic Landmark

Elitch Gardens Carousel

Burlington, Kit Carson County, Colorado
Listed
December 19, 1978
Type
Object
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78000861

About this property

Elitch Gardens Carousel, also known as Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #6 or as the Kit Carson County Carousel, is a 1905 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel located in Burlington, Colorado. Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #6 was manufactured in 1905 for Elitch Gardens. It was used at the park every summer until 1928, when the park acquired a new carousel also made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC #51) and sold the existing carousel and band organ to Kit Carson County for $1,200, including the cost of delivery by train to Burlington. During the Depression, the carousel spent six years in storage, re-entering use in 1937. Restoration of the carousel's band organ began in 1976. The Kit Carson County Carousel was designated a National Historic Site in 1978 and a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Restoration efforts continued in 1987 with work to restore the original paint to the animals, chariots, and the outer rim, new siding applied to the carousel building and Victorian-inspired landscaping. A second restoration to the carousel animals took place in 1992. Grants financed research into and restoration of the carousel's original lighting, machinery room, moldings on the paintings, and the Wurlitzer band organ in 1997. In May 1981, thieves removed three small horses and a donkey from the carousel during a heavy rainstorm. The animals were later recovered from a Salina, Kansas, warehouse and returned to the carousel following a parade through Burlington in October 1981. Commemorative markers on the carousel mark the recovered animals' locations. Type: 3 rows, Park, Stationary, all wood composition Figures: 25 standing horses, 4 chariots; standing horses include 2 burros, 3 camels, 1 dog, 3 deer, 3 giraffes, 3 goats, 1 hippocampus, 1 lion, 1 tiger, and 3 zebras Music: 1909 Wurlitzer 155 "Monster" military band organ It is the only antique carousel in America retaining its original paint on both the scenery panels and the animals, and it is the only surviving menagerie (having other animals in addition to horses) carousel made by Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Amusement rides on the National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places listings in Kit Carson County, Colorado Kit Carson County Carousel Project Photos from the Colorado Historical Society

Location

Burlington, Kit Carson County, Colorado
39.30898, -102.27079

Categories

ARTENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Winegar Building
Industrial
0.3 mi
Hudson, Sim, Motor Company
Industrial
0.3 mi
Burlington State Armory
Industrial
0.5 mi
Burlington Gymnasium
Civil War
0.5 mi
Spring Creek Bridge
Industrial
24.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Elitch Gardens Carousel listed on the National Register?

Elitch Gardens Carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Elitch Gardens Carousel?

Elitch Gardens Carousel is classified as a object in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Elitch Gardens Carousel a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Elitch Gardens Carousel has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Elitch Gardens Carousel?

The period of significance for Elitch Gardens Carousel is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Elitch Gardens Carousel?

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