Named for the Lancaster, Pennsylvania amusement park, the Rocky Springs Carousel first came to Lancaster around 1901. It was built by famed carousel manufacturer Gustav Dentzel. At the turn of the last century through 1928 during what was called the Golden Age of the carousel there were numerous manufacturers in the business in the U.S. These included the Philadelphia Toboggan Co., carvers Charles I. D. Loff, Stein and Goldstein, Charles Carmel, E. Joy Morris, Herschell / Spillman, C.W. Parker and M. C. Illions. Of all these carvers, perhaps none is more highly regarded than the Dentzel Co, of the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
The Rocky Springs Carousel was to be one of Dentzel’s showplaces since the park was located only sixty miles west of Philadelphia. Here Dentzel could bring his prospective clients and other park owners, to look over the animals they wanted to have carved for their own carousels. The first carousel at Rocky Springs was what is called a stationary or stander machine, meaning that none of the animals went up and down. For 24 years this machine carried excited parents, maybe even your Grandparents, around in circles. Then in 1924 park owner and founder Joseph Figari decided to purchase a new machine with the latest improvements including a jumping mechanism. This new design enabled the animals to go up and down adding more realism to the ride. Dentzel included many of the original animals such as the Dogs and Rooster (the only one left on an operating Dentzel carousel) adding other jumpers the Carousel as well. The new machine with its rows of jumping animals and much more innately decorated mechanisms (including the carved Dentzel Jester heads and mirrors arrived in time for the opening of the 1925 season, much to the pleasure of the local riders.
The Rocky Springs Carousel has 48 animals and 2 benches or chariots. There are 25 jumpers, 15 menagerie and 8 standers. The menagerie animals are 2 Dogs, 1 Giraffe, 1 Goat, 1 Zebra, 1 Lion, 2 Mules, 4 Ostriches, 1 Rooster and 1 Tiger. One of the Horses was removed from the machine and replaced with a leaping Dentzel Deer. The Deer came from a Dentzel Carousel that last operated at Knottsberry Farm in California, several animals are from the same dates and carver but were from different machines. Rocky Springs Park thrived over the next half century, but closed in 1983 unable to compete with the large amusement parks. Joseph Figari’s Grandaughter, Kimberly and her husband Tom Wolf moved the Carousel. The Wolf’s operated it in Lake Lansing, Michigan before securing a long term contract with DollyWood in Pigeon Forge Tennessee where our Carousel ran from 1990 until the winter of 1998/99. That’s when negotiations commenced for the Carousel’s return to Lancaster.
We raised over 1.3 million dollars to get the Carousel back and it came home on October 17th, 1999. Now a lot more work is needed before it spins and carries people again. The Carousel, this wonderful hand carved treasure that is part of our history, maybe home, but now we must bring it alive. Across the country, carousels are an endangered species. There is real threat to their survival. While we can’t save all of them, we can save our carousel from the auction block, where it would be broken up and disbursed among collectors. Of the thousands of wood carousels once produced there are less than 150 full parkside carousels like ours left in the country. Some were destroyed by fires or floods, but more recently many have been lost to auction houses. Now that the machine is back and capital fundraising efforts are soon underway your participation enables you to take part in one of the most important historical carousel projects of our time. With your help we’ll reach our goals and acquire a new building to house and operate this machine in downtown Lancaster for the enjoyment of childern of all ages.
If you wish to see a twin of our carousel please visit the Dentzel Carousel at Glen Echo park in Maryland near the Nation's capital near the Potomac river. This is what we hope ours will look like.