Herschell-Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel (Portland, Oregon)
- Title
- Herschell-Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel (Portland, Oregon)
- LC Subject
- Architecture, American Architecture--United States
- Alternative
- Oaks Park Carousel (Portland, Oregon) Herschell Spillman Noah's Artk Carousel (Portland, Oregon)
- Creator
- Herschel-Spillman Company
- Creator Display
- Herschel-Spillman Company (builder/contractor)
- Description
- National Register of Historic Places (Listed, 1987)
- View
- interior: detail of lion.
- Provenance
- Design Library, University of Oregon Libraries
- Temporal
- 1910-1919 1920-1929
- Work Type
- architecture (object genre) built works recreation buildings sports buildings amusement rides carousels (rides)
- Latitude
- 45.465125
- Longitude
- -122.66357
- Location
- Portland >> Multnomah County >> Oregon >> United States Multnomah County >> Oregon >> United States Oregon >> United States United States
- Street Address
- 5 Southeast Spokane Street
- Date
- 1913 1926
- Identifier
- pna_06003
- Item Locator
- 726 AmO P83p H438 06; 90-02517;
- Rights
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- Source
- Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/SHPO/
- Type
- Image
- Format
- image/tiff
- Set
- Building Oregon
- Primary Set
- Building Oregon
- Is Part Of
- Oaks Amuseument Park (Portland, Oregon)
- Institution
- University of Oregon
- Note
- "The Oaks Park Carousel is a three-row menagarie machine manufactured by the Herschen-Spillman Company. It measures 48 feet in diameter* The bi-level platform measures 6 feet 9 inches in width, and carries both horse and animal standers* The second level platform carries two rows of horse and animal jumpers, and measures 4 feet 9 inches. All totaled, there are 46 hand-carved wooden animals mounted on brass poles, including a pair each of cats, dogs, zebras, ostriches, mules, pigs, roosters and giraffes. For this reason, the machine is called the "Noah's Ark" carousel. Also on board this machine are four frogs, a stork, a dragon, lion and lioness, a doe, goat and an extremely rare kangaroo. Completing the array are the 19 horses. The carousel animals have glass eyes, except for some of the menagerie figures which have painted carved eyes. The carousel is decorated with 18 rounding boards and shields studded with cast metal masques of seven different designs. Around the hub, enclosing the drive system of the machine, are 18 lighted scenery panels mounted below the sweeps and 18 lighted panels above the sweeps. The original painted scenes which were on these panels are beginning to reappear through scenes which were painted over them during a long-ago refurbishment. The carousel is housed in its own building situated on the Oaks Park Amusement concourse. The housing specially designed for the machine is an octagonal building of post and beam construction, 75 feet in diameter in its ground plan. A blind, pyramidal-roofed octagonal cupola having board and batten sidinq surmounts the structure, which is supported by braced posts encircling the perimeter. The metal roofing is a recent replacement. The pavilion is traditional in form and dates from the earliest years of the carousel's operation at The Oaks Amusement Park (1926 onward). It is, therefore, counted as a separately-contributing resource. In fair weather, panels are removed and the base of the building is open to the weather. The Oaks Amusement Park is situated on the east bank of the Willamette River in southeast Portland. " Source: National Register Nomination. "Out of the bankrupt parent company of Armitage-Herschell, the Herschell-Spillman Company was formed in 1901. In 1906, Herschell-Spillman bought the parent company, obtaining its patents, stock and equipment. By 1911, the company was producing both track and jumping action carousels. In time, the Herschell-Spillman Company changed its style from unadorned steeds to more elaborately carved animals. The Company was noted for its extensive assortment of menagerie animals and was well known for its carvings of frogs, cats, roosters, ostriches and dogs. The company's hub panels and founding boards were mainly in the form of painted scenes. The Oaks Park Carousel boasts 36 such paintings." Source: National Register Nomination.
