The Watch Hill Merry

Jim and DeeDee Buffum manage the Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round and Beach.

While flying horses may seem like a figment of a child’s daydream, Watch Hill Merry Go-Round and Beach has consistently been making dreams come true with their summertime staple carousel for decades.

The Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round and Beach is known as “home of the flying horses since 1883,” with the oldest continuously operating flying horse carousel in the United States. Managers Jim and DeeDee Buffum said the original antique horses and the carousel’s one-of-a-kind nostalgic charm keep new and old riders coming back year after year.

“Every generation looks forward to the time they can bring the next generation to the Merry-Go-Round and experience a summer rite of passage,” Jim Buffum said. “Dare I say the circle of life? Close your eyes and listen to the cheers and laughter as it has sounded for over 100 years. The world is changing fast and the Merry-Go-Round is a place where you can take a breather for a moment and cherish the simple fun of riding a flying horse.”

One of the carousel’s main distinctions is the “flying horse” aspect, the Buffums said. Typically, carousels run on a wood turntable with the horses mounted on a spinning platform. Watch Hill’s horses are hung on rods suspended from the sweeps above them.

“There are no other flying horse style carousels where the horses don’t run on a platform…” Jim Buffum said. “There’s nothing between the horses’ hoofs and the ground. The horses also tilt outwards as ride speeds up and the centrifugal forces pull on the horses and their riders.”

Today, 20 of the horses on the merry-go-round are original. The real leather saddles, clothes blankets, and the horses’ manes are in constant repair and replacement. There are some newly carved reproduction horses that are used for part of the year as some of the original horses are “very tender,” Jim Buffum said.

“The authenticity of the ride and the work that many people do to keep it as it always has been,” Jim Buffum said. “The horses are mini antiques. Real horse hair manes, real leather saddles and meticulously maintained by Gary Anderson.”

It’s a miracle that any part of the carousel is original — surviving wars and natural disasters for over 135 years including the infamous Great New England Hurricane of 1938 hurricane.

The carousel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987, however a lot of rumors still circle the carousel’s origins. With assistance from staff member Gary Anderson, the Buffums did a deep dive into the history behind their carousel to try and get closer to the truth.

The Buffums said it is believed that the Watch Hill carousel was made by Andrew Christian and the Charles W.F. Dare Company of New York City. Christian owned a toy business in New York City and designed rocking horses. In 1861, he patented a spring horse that pivoted on a spring attached to its rear leg. When Christian died, Charles Dare took over the company, building it into one of the largest carousel companies in the United States.

“The arcing action of the horse necessitated raising the horse’s front legs so they wouldn’t hit the ground as they bounced up and down,” Jim Buffum said. “Perhaps it was the outstretched forelegs that made these horses look like they were actively leaping that made the builders adapt this style horse to one of America’s earliest carousels.”

Legend has it that the carousel was brought to Watch Hill from Edward Hager, a civil war veteran who leased the beach front property from the Larkin Hotel. Hager and his wife ran a carousel at Savin Rock, locally known as Connecticut’s Coney Island, the Buffums and Anderson said. It’s possible they brought the merry-go-round to Watch Hill and left it, although it is not confirmed.

The Watch Hill Carousel has proof of leases as far back to 1889 - but they are the “home of the flying horses since 1883” because there are letters and personal accounts from Harriet Moore, local Rhode Island resident who was an active supporter for the merry-go-round, as early as 1883.

“Harriet Moore championed the Merry Go Round most of her life,” Anderson said. “It probably wouldn’t be here without her crusading for it. I think she actively started saving it in 1949, when carousels were not yet the hip thing to be saving. She researched it, found people to repair it, talked to historians and made sure it became a national landmark. She’s kind of the true spirit of that machine. Story is that on her deathbed she told Bob Richins he had to take the torch and find someone to restore the horses and keep it going.”

The Buffums are surprised year after year when first-time visitors don’t know the history of the Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round when they arrive. However, Jim Buffum said their staff makes sure visitors leave knowing exactly how the ride works and the legends behind it.

“Being [from] here, I understand that we are introducing Rhode Island, Westerly, and Watch Hill to people from all over the country and the world,” Buffum said. “Our crew understands this and know that they are the ambassadors of our town and their helpfulness, patience, and hard work enhances the lives of everyone dependent on a tourism economy.”

The merry-go-round is open for riders from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. They start by being open for weekends only, then open up to start seven days a week operation in mid-June.

Once it’s open, only riders ages 2-12 are allowed, with a weight limit of up to 100 pounds, Jim Buffum said. This age and weight limitation helps conserve the horses and allow them to continue bringing joy to children for generations to come.

It is $4 to ride the horses on the outside circle and $1 for the horses on the inside. While on the ride, there are chances to win a free ride. For the outside horses, there is always a brass ring — whoever grabs the ring gets a free ride.

For the inside ring of horses, there is no brass ring game, making it better suited for younger riders. When there is an opportunity to win a free ride, there is a special square on the ground below the inside ring of horses. When the inside horse rider stops over the special square at the end of the ride, their next ride is free.

Every year, kids are excited to ride the carousel when it’s open, Jim Buffum said. He recounts seeing experienced parents and guardians cleverly getting kids off the merry-go-round with the promise of St. Clarie’s ice cream cone because they don’t want to get off. He warns that one should make sure to get ice cream after riding — never before.

“Kids sprint to the ticket window and then run to get on their favorite horse,” Jim Buffum said. “Parents generally have fallen behind and are struggling to catch up and then find it hard to get kids off the Merry-Go-Round once they are on.”

Parents, guardians and adults are not allowed to stand next to or be with their child during the ride, since there’s no platform. With only children allowed to ride, Jim Buffum said the carousel is sometimes a child’s first taste of independence, a bittersweet moment for all.

“Reactions run the gamut,” Jim Buffum said. “Most children are super excited, some are competitive, some are very quiet and holding on for dear life, some get a little overwhelmed and need to try again next year. While most parents cheer and wave, sometimes it is not so easy for them too…[The] child has to be on their own.”

While there is still some mystery to the carousel’s origins, it is no surprise that any child can enjoy a wonderful summertime experience, the Buffums said. Every child needs to experience the joy and delight of a merry-go-round, at least once in their lifetime.

“Come on down to Watch Hill, Rhode Island for a day at the beach and a blast of old-fashioned summer fun,” Jim Buffum said.

For more information, visit https://merrygoroundbeach.com/

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