Flying Horses
Also known as: Oak Bluffs Carousel
Why it's listed
Flying Horses is a carousel housed in a plain one-story building at the base of Circuit Avenue, the main street of Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. The building has red-painted wood shingles and a low gable roof. Inside, a thirty-six-foot platform carries twenty prancing horses and four chariots under an open canopy, driven by an electric motor in the basement. The carousel arrived in the town, then called Cottage City, in 1884 and was moved to its present site in 1889. Its figures follow designs in an 1878 Dare catalog, with horsehair tails and large oxide eyes. The horses have always been stationary rather than rising and falling. The property was listed as the oldest operating platform carousel in the United States. It also retains folk-art panels and reflects the late nineteenth-century growth of resort amusements such as skating and bicycling. At the time of nomination, the owner hoped to restore the original paint and panels.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the carousel is the oldest operating platform carousel in the United States. It keeps its hand-carved horses and chariots plus some folk-art painted rim, spreader and center panels. It is also a rare survivor of the mid-to-late nineteenth-century interest in amusements and summer resorts.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000342, listed August 27, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 33 Oak Bluffs Ave., Oak Bluffs |
|---|---|
| County | Dukes County |
| Listed | August 27, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000342 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated February 27, 1987 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and operating as a carousel and museum use; the horses were unpainted and many original panels were off the machine awaiting restoration. About $10,000 was recently spent overhauling the machinery. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.45742, -70.55713 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000342.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5463456
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.