FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT APRIL 17, 2012 JOHN FRATO EUCLID BEACH PARK SOCIETY 216.798.2923 [email protected]

SHARI KOCHMAN WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 216.721.3511 [email protected]

Construction Begins on Euclid Beach Carousel Pavilion in University Circle

Project of local carousel organizations to rebuild historic carousel at Western Reserve Historical Society becomes a reality with operations planned for late 2013.

Cleveland, OH -- A ceremonial groundbreaking at the corner of East Boulevard and East 108th Street in University Circle on Tuesday, April 17, officially confirms a long-time dream becoming reality: the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel will spin again in . The groundbreaking marks the beginning of construction of an all-glass pavilion to house the carousel.

As soon as late 2013, two local nonprofit carousel organizations expect to complete their $2 million project to build the pavilion, restore the carousel, and place it within the new glass structure attached to the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center. The public will be able to ride the original, restored carousel horses once again.

Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society and Euclid Beach Park Now are the organizations behind the project that was announced in June 2010, but first dreamt many years before that, particularly by Carousel Society Chair Terry Kovel.

“This is one of the few working still in its original town,” Kovel said. “I remember the fun and excitement when I rode a horse as a child at Euclid Beach. Soon it will bring joy to thousands of people young and old.”

The Carousel Society and Euclid Beach Park Now proposed the partnership with WRHS after determining University Circle was the best location for the carousel, and particularly within WRHS since it owns the horses and chariots and has the expertise to oversee their care. Construction of the new carousel pavilion coincides with major renovations to the WRHS History Center, already underway and, like the carousel pavilion, slated for completion by late 2012.

“The timing is perfect and exciting,” said Dr. Gainor B. Davis, WRHS President & CEO. “We refer to the current renovations at the History Center as a “transformation,” because it will completely transform the look, feel and amenities of the facility. Add to that project a glass jewel box housing a carousel on our corner to entice visitors inside and it takes the History Center even one step further in being a family-friendly destination in Northeast .”

Richard Fleischman + Partners Architects designed the “jewel box” pavilion to clearly display the beauty and energy of the carousel to the exterior. Key Private Banking is providing the financing for the $1.4 million pavilion project. Scaparotti Construction Group is the general contractor.

The sloping, glass-walled pavilion will measure 75 feet in diameter and 32 feet high with a thin, cantilevered roof plane. It will showcase the carousel which will measure 50 feet in diameter and 25 feet high. The carousel has so much color, light, and movement that the architecture surrounding it is meant to be as simple and transparent as possible, according to project architect Aaron Hill. Visitors to the carousel will enter from the WRHS Crawford Auto Aviation Collection Gallery through a reconstructed version of the main grand gate of Euclid Beach Park.

Work to restore and rebuild the carousel is already underway with Carousel Works of Mansfield, Ohio. The company is renowned worldwide for wooden carousel construction and restoration. Organizers estimate it will take about a year following completion of the pavilion construction to finish the carousel restoration and have it operational at WRHS.

John Frato, President of Euclid Beach Park Now, is excited by the prospect of the carousel finally getting its long awaited rebirth. “Euclid Beach Park Now membership has worked tirelessly to see this project through,” Frato said. “This carousel is an important piece of Cleveland history. Once this physical artifact from Euclid Beach Park is brought back to life, the Park’s rich history can be shared and appreciated by future generations of Greater Clevelanders.”

Many remember the Euclid Beach Park fondly, including Michael Scaparotti, president of Scaparotti Construction Group. “Euclid Beach Park is a cultural icon that is linked to a lot of good memories by many in the Cleveland area including myself,” Scaparotti said. “We are very proud to have a part in bringing the carousel back to life for new generations of people to enjoy for years to come.”

Vice-chair of the Carousel Society, Dr. Raymond Rackley of the Cleveland Clinic, says “ the efforts of Western Reserve Historical Society, Richard Fleischman + Partners Architects, Scaparotti Construction Group, and Key Bank provide a world-class collaboration of Cleveland partnerships unique to University Circle that is worthy of public and private investment in the capital building campaign of the Carousel Project.” Project architect Aaron Hill says the all-glass pavilion will be unique to Cleveland. “We are thrilled and honored to play a part in adding another outstanding addition to the cultural necklace of University Circle and further enhancing the world-class institution of the Western Reserve Historical Society.” Carousel Pavilion Construction Project At a Glance

Location: Western Reserve Historical Society History Center in University Circle; Corner addition to facility at East Boulevard and East 108th Street. Square Footage: 5,700 square feet Timeframe: April 2012 – late 2012 Cost: $1.4 million* Funding: Private funds raised by Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society and Euclid Beach Park Now. Financing: Key Private Banking Architect: Richard Fleischman + Partners Architects, Inc. General Contractor: Scaparotti Construction Group Mechanical Contractor: Ace Heating & Air Conditioning Co. Electrical Contractor: South Shore Electric Plumbing Contractor: Commerce Plumbing Company Fire Protection Contractor: S.A.Comunale Co., Inc.

*The cost of the entire project, to build the pavilion, restore the carousel and place it in the pavilion is estimated at $2 million.

Carousel History – In Brief: The Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1910 and operated at Euclid Beach Park in Cleveland’s neighborhood until the Park closed in 1969. It was sold to an in Maine where it operated for 28 years. Cleveland’s Trust for Public Land bought the Carousel horses and chariots in 1997. Cleveland Tomorrow raised funds to restore the 58 horses and 2 chariots, in collaboration with WRHS. The restored horses and chariots were gifted to WRHS in 1999. Some are currently on display at WRHS while the others remain in storage. (Complete timeline for Euclid Beach Park and the Grand Carousel is attached.)

Photos available upon request. Please contact [email protected]. ------Cleveland's Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a vision to restore this regional historic and cultural Carousel landmark through a collaborative placement in the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center in University Circle, in a way that will be self-sustaining, thereby ensuring its future through entrepreneurial stewardship.

Euclid Beach Park Now is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving the history and the memories of Cleveland’s greatest amusement park for the enjoyment of current and future generations. Since 1989 the organization has preserved artifacts and memorabilia of the park, continued to research the park’s rich history, and shared discoveries with members and friends.

Western Reserve Historical Society is Cleveland’s oldest cultural institution, founded in 1867 to preserve the history of Northeast Ohio, originally known as the Western Reserve. Today, WRHS inspires people to discover the American experience by exploring the tangible history of Northeast Ohio. Euclid Beach Park and Grand Carousel Time Line:

1895 Euclid Beach Park, a new summer resort, opens eight miles east of Cleveland's Public Square for the first of its 74 seasons.

1901 The Park goes bankrupt. The Humphrey family offers to rent the property and, before the season ends, purchases 80% of the company stock. The park operates on the foundation of fair dealing, clean entertainment and pleasant surroundings.

1910 Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) installs a new, larger, more grand carousel with four rows of horses, three inside rows of "jumpers" and an outside row of nearly life size stationary horses. The initial purchase price is $7,734.04.

1969 Euclid Beach Park closes. The carousel is sold to , a small amusement park in the Atlantic Ocean resort town of Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

1997 Palace Playland is sold. The carousel is consigned to an auctioneer who decides to hold the auction in Cleveland. The Trust for Public Land, armed with temporary funding from the Ford Foundation, secures the entire carousel with a bid of $650,000. With a "buyers" premium added to the bid, the final cost for the carousel is $715,000. Cleveland Tomorrow announces a plan to restore and preserve the carousel as a year-round attraction at North Coast Harbor.

1998 Cleveland Tomorrow announces that Carousel Magic, located in Mansfield, Ohio, would restore the 54 horses and two chariots. Western Reserve Historical Society participates in the restoration. During restoration it is discovered that four horses are missing (there should be 58). Euclid Beach Park Nuts (Now) contracts with Carousel Magic to design and construct four replacement horses for the Euclid Beach Park Carousel and begins a fundraising campaign.

1999 Necessary funding to put the carousel into operation falls short. Cleveland Tomorrow gifts the horses and chariots to Western Reserve Historical Society where most are placed into storage. WRHS retains ownership of the horses and chariots.

2003 Northeast Shores Development Corporation presents a plan to Euclid Beach Park Now to place the carousel back in its original location at Euclid Beach State Park as part of a Lake Shore Master Plan drafted by Kent State University's Urban Design Center.

2007 Western Reserve Historical Society, Northeast Shores Development Corporation and Euclid Beach Park Now meet to discuss the State Park plan.

2009 Cleveland's Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society presents a plan to Euclid Beach Park Now to locate the carousel in University Circle. Euclid Beach Park Now votes to support the plan.

2010 Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society and Euclid Beach Park Now present the plan to Western Reserve Historical Society proposing that the Carousel be located inside the WRHS History Center in University Circle and that The Carousel Society raise the necessary funds for the restoration and placement. WRHS Board approves collaboration with The Carousel Society to rebuild and operate the carousel at its History Center in University Circle.

2011 The Carousel Society hires The Carousel Works to restore and rebuild the Carousel using the original horses and chariots. Restoration work begins.

2012 Construction of the glass pavilion to house the Carousel begins at the corner of East Boulevard and East 108th Street, and connected to the WRHS History Center. Completion is estimated by the end of the year.

2013 Carousel restoration is scheduled for completion followed by installation in the new pavilion. Public ridership is anticipated for the fall.

Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society

Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society plans to restore the 1910 Carousel to be a functional, self-sustaining regional historic and cultural landmark for enjoyment and programmatic community development through its placement in the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) History Center in University Circle.

Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society functions: - to enable the functional restoration of the Euclid Beach Park (EBP) Carousel Horses and useable mechanism artifacts from the full title holder, WRHS

- to fund and build the “Carousel Pavilion Enclosure” within the WRHS History Center in University Circle

- to re-create the Carousel mechanism and surrounding parts to provide as historically accurate a restoration of the EBP Carousel as possible

- to assist WRHS in operating the Carousel & the Carousel Cultural Legacy Programs

- to acquire EBP Carousel collections that support the 1910 historic restoration of the EBP Carousel and its experience. a) The Carousel Society’s business plan outlines a means to restore a Cleveland Regional Art & Cultural Landmark, the Carousel of the Euclid Beach Park, which garners public and private support. b) The Carousel Society’s business plan outlines a means to provide a self- sustaining and collaborative future for WRHS & EBPN, their collections & programs, and community programs at large. The Cleveland Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that functions as an independent development and operating entity for the restoration and placement of the Carousel within the WRHS History Center in University Circle.

Euclid Beach Park Now

This 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization is dedicated to preserving the history and the memories of Cleveland’s greatest amusement park for the enjoyment of current and future generations. Since 1989, members have preserved artifacts and memorabilia of the park, continued to research the park’s rich history, and shared their discoveries through a quarterly newsletter, “The Arch”.

The organization’s many activities include sponsoring memorabilia shows, multi-media education presentations, speaking engagements, and employee reunions. Members maintain an active historical archive with the eventual goal of establishing a Euclid Beach Park Museum. The board of directors and the membership are continuing to spearhead efforts to return Euclid Beach’s PTC #19 Carousel to operation for the public and actively support the preservation of all of the remaining physical artifacts at the Euclid Beach State Park. Their efforts are funded through collection of membership dues, donations, and the sale of commemorative items at their public events or by mail order. For more information about Euclid Beach Park Now visit the website at www.euclidbeach.org.

WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

MISSION & VISION

Western Reserve Historical Society was founded in 1867 to collect, preserve, and make accessible the heritage of the Western Reserve and the Far West. Today, WRHS’s mission is to inspire people to discover the American experience by exploring the tangible history of Northeast Ohio. Over the past 145 years, the Historical Society has collected the region’s history in order to tell the stories of the people who immigrated to Northeast Ohio and created a vibrant and viable place to live and work.

Today, WRHS takes care of some 130,000 artifacts, 36 historic houses, 235,000 books, 4-5 million photographs, not to mention some 3,000 manuscript collections that cover 12 miles of shelving. The WRHS Crawford Auto Aviation Collection is one of the finest in the nation. Its Research Center houses a genealogy collection of national standing. Among other important WRHS assets are the Costume & Textile Collection (40,000+), considered one of the top ten in the country, and its business and industrial records.

Since 1970, WRHS has focused on collecting the history of Northeast Ohio’s diverse peoples and their impact on the region. The WRHS Immigration Archives document almost every major immigrant group that has settled in the area, with the most well-established of these archives being the Cleveland Jewish Archives and African-American Archives.

WRHS, through the use of its vast and varied collections in the areas of family history, community history, entrepreneurship, and technological innovation, provides the public with a much-needed sense of place in today’s mobile society, and a base for learning about invention and ingenuity that can be transferred into modern economic expansion. Each document and artifact tells a story that personally engages individuals, young and old.

PRIMARY VENUES & ASSETS

HALE FARM & VILLAGE (Bath Township, Summit County), a 90-acre outdoor living history museum with 32 historic structures and history-based programming for both school and general audiences, gives WRHS the opportunity to document the agricultural roots of the United States and the transition from a subsistence economy to an economy of abundance. Visitors are introduced to pre- industrial America and the country’s first entrepreneurs. In the larger sense, Hale brings us back to our roots by connecting the farming past with current trends in land use and sustainability.

HISTORY CENTER (University Circle, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County), a 7.5 acre site on East Boulevard in Cleveland’s cultural center – University Circle, houses WRHS main headquarters. This facility, with almost 300,000 square feet of building space, is comprised of the WRHS educational and research facilities, major permanent and changing exhibition galleries, museum store, and administration offices.

Crawford Auto and Aviation Collection highlights technological advances and social mobility in American society and reflects the intersection of design, art, and the decorative arts. This collection is comprised of about 140 antique automobiles, approximately 80% of which are in working order, non-car transportation artifacts (motorcycles, bicycles, and boats), 10 aircraft, and carriages and sleighs from various eras. WRHS also stores and cares for collections at the Macedonia Preservation Facility in Summit County (56,000 square feet).

Research Center, the largest American history research center in Northeast Ohio, enables individuals and families to discover their own culture and traditions and compare them with those of their neighbors, emphasizing shared values rather than differences. Holdings include 235,000 books; 25,000 volumes of newspapers; 30,500 rolls of microfilm, 4,000,000 prints and photographs; and more than 3,000 collections of manuscripts and archives that comprise more than 20 million items.

Hay-McKinney & Bingham-Hanna Houses are two early 20th -century homes depicting the lifestyles of Cleveland’s industrial leaders during a time of great growth and wealth in the city. The Hay House features items from the extensive WRHS decorative arts collection and is available for daily guided tours.

Exhibit Galleries connect the two historic homes of the WRHS History Center and provide space for traveling and guest exhibits as well as rotating exhibitions that focus on regional history and showcase the Society’s outstanding collections.

Chisholm Halle Costume Gallery showcases items from the unusually large and comprehensive WRHS clothing, textile and accessories collection. Dating from the mid-18th century to the present, the collection is international in scope and includes historic and contemporary design extending from one-of-a-kind to mass-produced items.

Kidzibits Family Education Center inspires young visitors, from pre-school through elementary school to explore and experience history.

Kidzibits' Time and Space Place (for ages 6 to 9) delves into activities to discover how clothes, cooking, travel and more have changed over time. Kids can cook over a fire, hearth, range, and microwave oven. They can explore traveling via horse, carriage, car, and plane. They can also feel the changes in fabrics from long ago to today. All activities encourage intergenerational conversations about the past and how it shapes the future.

In the Backyard of History (for preschoolers), children can dress in historic clothes, do a little shopping at a recreated West Side market, or build Cleveland's skyline. They can also learn how to create a family tree, give puppet shows and play with old-fashioned toys.

OTHER HISTORIC PROPERTIES

Shandy Hall (Geneva, Ashtabula County) was built in 1815 and is located on 115 acres of land. The site consists of a main house and several out buildings. The site is open to the public for tours by appointment only.

Loghurst (Canfield, Mahoning County) is a 7.5-acre site near Youngstown that includes a ca. 1805 house, barn, and shed. The Society enjoys a co-stewardship agreement with the Canfield Heritage Foundation to operate the property on a seasonal basis.