The Origins of this Treasured Merry-Go-Round.

Designed and built in 1925, Old Lyme’s iconic Allan Herschell carousel is celebrated not only for its age but for preserving the expert craftsman and pioneering spirit of Allan Herschell him- self, which began to take shape in 1873. It reached its pinnacle in 1915 when he founded the Allan Herschell Company — and is the reason his name and this carousel are still celebrated.

In its early days the carousel featured hand-carved horses, twin chariots, and a diesel engine for power. The present horses and chariots are the same, but the diesel engine was replaced by an electric motor, and the 1800’s Coney Island brass ring dispenser was added. It was restored in 2007 to its original condition, updating controls, bearings, and safety items.

The Next Chapter

Now, more than a century on, The Carousel at Old Lyme looks and operates as if it were new, thanks to owners Dee and Jerry Vowles. They purchased it in 1987, about ten years after the previous owner moved it from Florida to Connecticut to replace its predecessor, which was built in the late-1800s and had been there since 1948. And that’s when a whole new chapter in its history began.

“Though my husband and I lived and worked in West Hartford, we discovered the Carousel when we spotted an ad offering it for sale,“ recalls Dee. “Within a few days, we pur- chased the Carousel and a building nearby with a beach store and an upstairs apartment for us to live in for the summer.” Their first project was to renovate the apartment, converting 12 small bedrooms and a bath into larger bedrooms, a kitchen, and a new bath for them and their two young children. Their second was to give the horses a face lift. And in 1988, they officially opened both their wonderful Carousel and their new beach store — The Carousel Shop.

Later, they would purchase the building that sat between the Carousel and the beach store/apartment, connecting the new property to The Carousel Shop to create the current beach store and apartment — and shortly after that, they purchased the building adjacent to the Carousel Shop, converting it to a beach wear and gift shop called The Carousel Shop Too.

Only one thing didn’t change: Allan Herschell’s insistence on friendly looking horses — a departure from some of the scarier looking equines found on other vintage carousels. And Dee and Jerry agree: “We would call our Carousel fun, not fancy, drawing kids of all ages all summer long.”

It's in Good Company, Too!

Indeed, now the undisputed centerpiece of Sound View Beach — and one of the most delightful of the town’s various icons, The Carousel at Old Lyme stands proudly beside The Carousel Shop, which sells some 40 flavors of ice cream, frozen yogurt, premium soft-serve, and sherbet, as well as all the beach gear anyone might want or need — from souvenirs, sand pails and shovels, and inflatables to toys, games, puzzles, and candy. And because the Vowles have gotten to know their little beach town so well, they’ve enjoyed having hundreds of Old Lyme high school and college kids work there over the years.

But Nothing Beats the Carousel, Itself

And while the Carousel is always busy, last summer — on its official 100th Anniversary — shoreline and beach residents turned out to celebrate the auspicious occasion in droves. A June 14th gathering was announced through special invitations and flyers. The Vowles sold t-shirts commemorating the event. There was a raffle. Free rides were given, along with 100¢ hotdogs and ice creams. A temporary tattoo artist was on hand. Local, state, and federal politicians gave speeches and awarded certificates, and both the Democrats and Republicans finally agreed on one thing: saluting the Carousel with a plaque honoring its century of providing joy to adults and children everywhere.

Explains Dee, “The beach and the Carousel are the jewels of Sound View.” The shops are open 9:30 in the morning to 9:30 at night, with the Carousel entertaining riders from 7 to 9 every evening between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Carousel also hosts birthday parties and special occasions and is often the backdrop for en- gagement wedding photos. But its primary mission is that of giving countless children of all ages both smiles and laughter in abundance and the kind of memories that become more precious as time passes.

But Here's The Real Secret

For all the shiny new parts that are rumored to keep The Carousel at Old Lyme twirling and sparkling to the rhythmical rise and fall of carefree music, it’s really those smiles and memories that make the world go ‘round for the Carousel’s beautiful horses and chariots, the Vowles and their family, the locals with whom they have be- come friends, and the myriad children who will never forget the simple joy of saddling up for a ride on The Old Lyme’s Carousel. And they will for years to come.

“The beach and the carousel are the jewels of Sound View.”
– Dee Vowles