Project change!
I just found out the project has changed at the park. Instead of leveling out the mounds of soil along the access road, we will now be raking and cleaning the area around the carousel, and also mulching the picnic area, both are within proximity of each other. This is great news for the park, as they have not had an operator for the carousel in over a year (and hence has been dormant that entire time and will need a lot of sprucing up).
Also, regarding the bus situation, NYCares has confirmed 3 buses for us. The buses will leave from the NYCares office (214 West 29th Street btwn 7th/8th Ave) at 8:30am and will return to their office by 3pm. If you're interested in taking the bus, you will register for the day before you get on the bus so plan on trying to get to 29th St. by 8am.
The Forest Park Carousel holds some of the last surviving creations of master wood-carver Daniel Carl Muller. After emigrating from Germany in the 1880s, Muller settled in Philadelphia and opened D.C. Muller and Brother Co., which operated from 1903 to 1914. Muller crafted figures for twelve carousels in his lifetime; this carousel is one of only two that remain, with his fanciful interpretations of horses, unicorns, bears, and other menagerie animals. Muller worked with the Dentzel Company on the Forest Park Carousel, another historically renowned carousel maker. William H. Dentzel constructed the frame in 1890 and Muller carved the animals in 1903. The carousel was first operated in 1903 in Dracut, Massachusetts, then taken apart and stored for later use. (Read More...)
