{"nrhp_refnum":"99001081","name":"Paragon Park Carousel","other_names":["Carousel Unter the Clock","Philadelphia Toboggan Co. # 85"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"1 Wharf Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Hull","county":"Plymouth County","state":"MA","lat":42.27018394000004,"lon":-70.85664546999993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-09-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1928 wooden four-row carousel and its twelve-sided stucco housing at 1 Wharf Avenue, Nantasket Beach, Hull, Massachusetts. It was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC #85) for Paragon Park and moved a short distance from its original site.","why_significant":"It is one of only two four-row wooden carousels still extant in Massachusetts, out of about 170 pre-1950 wooden carousels in the United States. It reflects Hull's growth as a seaside resort and the development of amusement parks, and it exemplifies the 'Philadelphia Style' of carousel production. It is the sole remaining attraction from Paragon Park still in Massachusetts.","narrative":"Built in 1928 for Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach in Hull, this wooden carousel was made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and incorporates a motor and two chariots from the Dentzel Carousel Company. It has four rows holding 66 horses, is about forty feet across, and sits inside a twelve-sided stucco building with an exposed-rafter, shingled domed roof. The scalloped top carries cherubs, painted panels and lights, and the central enclosure holds oil paintings and mirrors. It is one of only two four-row wooden carousels left in Massachusetts and a prime example of the Philadelphia Style, which favored elegant, naturalistic carving. It ran continuously from 1928 until the park closed in 1984, and it is the only remaining Paragon Park attraction still in the state. Moved less than a block in the 1980s, it remains within the Nantasket Beach amusement district and keeps nearly all of its original features.","period_of_significance":"1928-1949","architect_builder":"Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC); Dentzel Carousel Company parts; Frank Carrera (master carver); Gustav (Gus) Weiss (artist); Max Soltman (artist)","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th century revivals: 12 sided octagon-style revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still operating at its new site near its original location; the organ needs repair and a compact disc player provides music. About 24 of the 66 horses have been restored.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:03.69748-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/7966/63796648/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/99001081.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001081/3ae43277b6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001081/3ae43277b6-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hull_Paragon_Park_Carousel.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hull_Paragon_Park_Carousel.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796648","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragon_Park_Carousel","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7134600"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/plymouth-county/paragon-park-carousel-99001081/"}