Crescent Park Amusement Park was a bustling old-time amusement park

Amusement park

thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

 on the shores of Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...

 in Riverside, Rhode Island

Riverside, Rhode Island

Riverside, Rhode Island is the southern section of the city of East Providence in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Riverside's zip code is 02915 and has a population of approximately 18,000.Riverside is a suburban neighborhood for Providence...

. The park operated for 93 years from 1886 until 1979.

The park featured a large midway full of amusement rides, games, and food stands. At one end of the midway was the famous Alhambra Ballroom, where many big bands played in the 1930s and '40's. At the other end of the midway, on a bluff overlooking beautiful Narragansett Bay was the world famous Shore Dinner Hall which could seat two thousand people at one time. The Rhode Island shore dinner that made the hall famous included Maine lobster, Rhode Island clam chowder, clam cakes, fish, corn, and all the trimmings. Many famous entertainers performed on the bandstand overlooking the water. Fireworks were displayed on the 4th of July

Independence Day (United States)

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...

. The crescent-shaped beach was always crowded with bathers in their old-fashioned bathing suits.

Crescent Park Looff Carousel

One of the most popular rides on the midway was the 1895 Charles I. D. Looff

Charles I. D. Looff

Charles I. D. Looff was a master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides in America. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he manufactured over 50 carousels,twelve amusements parks, several roller coasters and Ferris wheels, and built...

 Carousel. This magnificent ride, perched inside one of Looff's traditional hippodrome buildings, contains 61 hand-carved horses, one camel, and four dragon-chariots. The carousel

Carousel

A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...

, was rescued when the park was sold at auction, fully restored, and is operating today to the delight of thousands of children, young and old alike. In 1985, the Rhode Island General Assembly proclaimed the carousel as "The State Jewel of American Folk Art".

History

In 1886, with just sixty-five dollars in his pocket, George B. Boyden, one-time proprietor of the Vu de L'Eau hotel in nearby Silver Spring, began to build an amusement park, across the street from the Bullock's Point Hotel in the Riverside section of East Providence, Rhode Island

East Providence, Rhode Island

East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 47,037 at the 2010 census, making it the fifth largest city in the state.-Geography:East Providence is located at ....

. Two years later, Charles I. D. Looff, a master carver and manufacturer of carousels, established a summer residence nearby. Looff was building merry-go-rounds at his Brooklyn, New York factory after coming to America from his native Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

. Looff built Coney Island

Coney Island

Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....

's first carousel in 1876.

Eventually, Boyden bought the hotel and changed the name to the Crescent Park Hotel. He then contracted with Charles I. D. Looff to build a carousel at the head of the 400' pier that jutted out into the bay. Steam boats from Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

 and Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

 would disembark loads of passengers onto the pier for a happy day at the park. Shore dinners were served in the huge new dining hall. Searle's Famous 6 O'clock Bake cost 60 to 84 cents and ran from 12 noon until 8 p.m.

Charles I. D. Looff built another, larger carousel at the head of the midway across the street from the hotel. This became his famous 1895 showpiece where Looff's prospective customers would select the style of carved horse for their new merry-go-round. Thompson's Scenic Railway, a Tickler ride, and a Flying Eagle ride were installed around 1900.

In 1901, Hope Land Company bought Crescent Park and quickly sold it to Colonel Randall A. Harrington, who in 1888 had leased Rocky Point Amusement Park

Rocky Point Amusement Park

The Rocky Point Amusement Park was a highly popular amusement park on the Narragansett Bay side of Warwick, Rhode Island. It operated from the late 1840s until its close in 1995. The following year, the park filed for bankruptcy.- History :...

, in Warwick, RI across the bay. Harrington built a huge exhibition hall at the eastern end of the midway. This 300' by 110' structure later became a music hall, roller skating rink, and finally the Alhambra Ballroom. The New England Association of Arts and Crafts, Inc. held their first Annual Exposition in the hall. The exposition's brochure proclaimed the attendance at over 1,500,000 and that this was the only place in New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 that the U.S. Government had ever exhibited. Included in the exhibitions was a demonstration of the U.S. Mint, the U.S. War Department, and the Treasury and agriculture Departments, the U.S. Weather Bureau, and the Alaska Packers Association of San Francisco.

In 1905, after the City of New York took his Brooklyn property by eminent domain

Eminent domain

Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...

 to build a city park, Charles I. D. Looff moved his factory to Crescent Park. Looff built a workshop onto the existing carousel building and produced many classic merry-go-rounds for the New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 area and across America.

In 1910, Looff moved his manufacturing operation to Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

, leaving his eldest son, Charles, to manage his Riverside interests. After Col. Harrington's death in 1918, young Charles bought Crescent Park. He built a Rivers of Venice boat ride that was a favorite with young lovers. He also opened up the floor space in the Alhambra Ballroom by installing huge trusses in the roof and removing the many columns supporting the roof. The hard-maple floor made a wonderful dance floor. Looff built a river excursion boat and named it the Miss Looff in memory of his youngest sister, Anna. When young Charles Looff died in 1925, the Beacon Blanket Manufacturing Company purchased the park.

The New England Hurricane of 1938

New England Hurricane of 1938

The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869...

 demolished the Crescent Park pier and the southern half of the giant wooden roller coaster

Wooden roller coaster

A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...

. A slightly smaller coaster was rebuilt with salvaged timbers. The pier was rebuilt only to be devastated again by Hurricane Carol

Hurricane Carol

Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones to affect the New England region of the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and gradually strengthened as it moved northwestward. On August 27, Carol intensified to reach winds of , but weakened...

 in 1954.

In 1951, a group of park concessionaires, led by Arthur R. Simmons and Fred J. McCusker bought the park. Many improvements were made to the midway, including the River Boat ride, the old-time Iron Horse train ride, the auto Speedway, the Sky Ride, Flying Fish, the Satellite ride, the 1865 Hotel, and a new and improved kiddie-Land. Other rides featured at the park were the roller coaster, Tumble Bug

Tumble Bug

A Tumble Bug is an amusement park ride with a circular track.Only two full-sized Tumble Bugs remain operating today in the United States—one at Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and one at Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, PA. All full-size instances were made by Traver...

, Bubble Bounce, Dodgems, Flying Cages, Ferris wheel

Ferris wheel

A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...

, Helicopter, Flying Scooters

Flying Scooters

Flying Scooters, also known simply as Flyers, is an amusement ride consisting of a center post with ride vehicles suspended from arms attached to the center post....

, New Orleans dark ride, Tilt-A-Whirl

Tilt-A-Whirl

Tilt-A-Whirl is one of the best-known flat rides, designed for commercial use at amusement parks, fairs and carnivals in which it is commonly found. The rides are manufactured by Sellner Manufacturing of Faribault, Minnesota...

, and The Whip (ride)

The Whip (ride)

The Whip was a ride originally designed and built by W.F. Mangels Company of Coney Island, New York, USA. William F. Mangels patented the ride in 1914 and it soon became an extremely popular ride....

. McCusker's Pop Corn and Salt-Water Taffy stand operated for many years at the head of the midway opposite the carousel.

Teresa Brewer

Teresa Brewer

Teresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...

, the recording artist, appeared at the park for the "Miss Rhode Island Redhead" contest. Free shows on Sundays included such entertainers as Amos 'n' Andy

Amos 'n' Andy

Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....

, Bobby Vinton

Bobby Vinton

Bobby Vinton is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".-Early life:...

, and characters from TV's Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....

 and the Munsters. During the 1940s and '50's, Charley Weygand and his orchestra played several nights a week in the Alhambra Ballroom. The Democratic Party of Rhode Island held their annual summer convention every year at Crescent Park. Many nationally known politicians came to speak at this huge affair.

In 1966, Crescent Park was sold to the investment company of Berry, Sugarman, and Paolino. They installed a miniature roller coaster called the Comet which was designed and built by Ed Leis, a veteran roller coaster builder. In 1969, they sold to Fairbanks Industries, Inc. of Brookline, Mass, who also owned Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Mass., and the Rustic Drive-In in North Smithfield. On September 2 of that year, the Alhambra Ballroom burned to the ground. Several years later, the company filed for Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy laws. In 1976, the Crescent Park Looff Carousel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. When the park property was auctioned off in 1979, a dedicated group of local citizens, led by Gail Durfee, Jobell(Tracy)Aguiar, Richard Lund, Linda McEntree, and Robin Peacock rescued the Looff carousel from being sold off piece-meal. The carousel was fully restored and reopened in 1984 and still operates every summer under the watchful eye of long-time ride manager, Ed Serowik and his son.

In 1985, the Rhode Island General Assembly proclaimed the carousel as "The State Jewel of American Folk Art". In 1987, the National Park Service designated the carousel as a National Historical Landmark. The remaining park property was eventually developed into affordable housing units.

The sights and sounds of the midway are long gone. The roar of the roller coaster, the crack of rifles at the shooting gallery, the tinkling of the penny arcade machines, the swell of merry-go-round organ music, the shouts of the game barkers, the smell of the pop corn and taffy, and the bright, garish colors of the midway are but distant memories, but to those who knew Crescent Park in its glory, it will live forever.