Newport's beloved carousel horses head out for restoration

NEWPORT, R.I. (WJAR) — The beloved carousel at Easton’s Beach has been a part of the Newport scene since the early 1950’s, but the city is tearing down the rotunda where it was housed.

Under the bright sun, it’s clear the ride has lost its shine.

“Over the years with age and everything else, with wear and tear, a lot of the horses take a lot of the beating and a lot of the wear, “ said Gabe Finkenstein who is the Owner Operator with WRF Designs.

The horses are now headed to Finkenstein’s warehouse in Connecticut, where he operates a workshop that restores carousels from around the country.

He’s hoping to make the ride new again and return it to Newport, if the city approves.

“What we’re going to do is hopefully get one of the horses and do a full restoration so we can show everyone what it’s going to look like, and show what the end result is,” he said.

For some community members, seeing the carousel carried out in pieces stirred up feelings from the past.

“It brought back memories and nostalgia of the carousel, and all the good times we had from when our children were little,” said Deborah Beebe, who has lived in Newport with her family for years. “They should be preserved, it’s a beautiful setup, a beautiful carousel, and to see that being put in storage is really sad.”

The horses and other carousel parts have been removed and the center pole will be taken out on Friday.

Newport officials said the hope is to restore the carousel while it sits in storage, and then bring it back to the city, but a location has not been decided.

The process could take up to a year or more.