Portal:Rhode Island/Selected article/20

The Flying Horse Carousel is a historic carousel in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, the principal summer resort area of the town of Westerly. It is the oldest operating carousel in the United States in which the horses are suspended from chains, and one of two in the state designated as National Historic Landmarks. It is believed to have been built around 1876 by the Charles W. Dare Company of New York. The bodies of the horses are believed to have been carved from single blocks of wood, with the legs carved separately and attached. The horses still have their original agate eyes, while other trappings have been replaced. When the carousel rotates, centrifugal force drives the horses outward, giving rise to the name "flying horses." The carousel was originally part of a traveling carnival until 1879, when the carnival was forced to abandon it in Watch Hill. It was extensively damaged by the New England Hurricane of 1938 which devastated Watch Hill; however, its horses were recovered from the sand dunes and the carousel was restored to operation.