Flying Horses Antique Carousel (Fireman's Park)

Built in 1910, the Flying Horses Carousel was restored in 1932 and installed in Fireman’s Park for its debut at the Washington County Fair. Most of the decorative wooden horses were crafted by the prominent toymaker and hobbyhorse designer, Charles W.F. Dare. In 1935, a sixteen-sided building was constructed to house the carousel as part of a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. Since then, the local community has had a significant role in continuing to preserve and maintain the antique carousel. In 1986, the Brenham Jaycees raised funds to preserve the structure through their "Adopt a Horse" campaign," while the Brenham Noon Lions Club took over maintenance in the 1990s. Another effort, "Rally Round the Carousel," raised funds for a renovation in 2005, along with the construction of an adjacent pavilion built in the historic turnverein style. Today, children can still enjoy riding the flying horses on the oldest wooden carousel in Texas.

Built in 1910, the Flying Horses Carousel is a fixture in the City of Brenham’s Fireman’s Park. The prominent toymaker and hobbyhorse designer, Charles W.F. Dare, hand-crafted most of the decorative wooden horses for the carousel in the early twentieth century, although two of the horses are signed by another maker, "Armitage Herschell & Co." The carousel itself was manufactured by C.W. Palmer, with a manufacturer's imprint located on the carousel's turning mechanism. From its construction in 1910 until 1918, the carousel was used by the Bradley Bros., a traveling circus. After 1918, it was used by the Catlett Amusement Co., until it was left abandoned in a pasture, as the traveling company could no longer afford the cost of transportation and rent to move the carousel from place to place.

Although carousels soared in popularity during the early 20th century, with as many as 4,000 in operation in the U.S. during the "Golden Age of the American Carousel," over time, hand-carved wooden horses were often replaced by standardized designs made with aluminum from molds and machines. In the 1930s, the Great Depression made carousels a cost-prohibitive luxury, and many were closed down. Yet in 1932, this particular carousel was rediscovered by Hugh Durden in the pasture where it had been abandoned. Although it was in poor condition, the carousel was relocated to Brenham, where it was restored, with funds provided by the Washington County Fair Association.

As recounted on a historical marker placed at the site, three County Fair commissioners visited the pasture in Clay, Texas, where they "braved swarming hornets" in order to rescue the abandoned carousel. Once it was relocated to Brenham, the owner of Brenham Furniture Repair, O.H. Fischer, along with Clarence Fischer, began to refurbish the original twenty-four wooden horses. A Fischer descendant later recalled helping her father make tails for the horses using hemp rope, which they unbraided and brushed-out to create the new tails. The carousel made its debut at the Washington County Fair in October 1932, to the delight of many local children. Tickets were 25 cents for six rides. In 1935, a new sixteen-sided building was constructed to house the carousel in the park, as part of a Depression-era federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project.

This carousel is unique because there is no track on the ground, and it operates only with gears at the top. Because of this, the horses appear to float. They are all considered “jumpers,” with their hooves in the air, in contrast with some carousel horses that keep their feet on the ground. Traditionally, there are three types of carousel horses: the Coney Island style, the Philadelphia style, and the Country Fair style. The twenty-four horses in this carousel were each designed in Country Fair style, with sleek bodies and built-in saddles. Their hooves are always off the ground, and their manes are flowing to give the further appearance of speed. According to the National Carousel Association, the “mad-dash pose” served two distinct purposes. First, the sense of speed appealed to riders' imaginations. Second, the identical leg position on each horse made it easier for the traveling fair or carnival to erect and dismantle the carousel in a hurry.

Since its debut at the 1932 Washington County Fair, the Brenham community has played an important role in preserving this antique carousel. In 1986, the Brenham Jaycees raised funds to preserve the structure through their "Adopt a Horse" campaign." Jack Sommers, an antiques restoration specialist, along with his daughter, the artist Gayle Baker, carefully disassembled, rebuilt, and hand-painted each of the wooden horses. Other local civic groups, such as the Lions Club and the Kiwanis Club, have also helped to maintain the carousel, with the Brenham Noon Lions Club overseeing maintenance of the structure in the 1990s. Each summer, the Washington County Arts Council sponsors a program called "Music in the Park," which opens the carousel to children free of charge.

Another community effort, "Rally Round the Carousel," raised funds for a renovation in 2005, which led to a complete upgrade of Fireman's Park. The Flying Horses Carousel and the park reopened in 2007, just in time for Maifest, the annual German springtime festival. Additional funds were donated for the construction of a new pavilion, which was built next to the carousel in the historic turnverein style associated with German gymnasiums. Today, children can enjoy riding the flying horses for one dollar, with the carousel open on weekends from March through October. The Flying Horses Carousel in Fireman's Park holds the distinction of being the oldest wooden structure of its kind in Texas, and one of only five remaining antique carousels anywhere in the state.

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