Pullen Swimming Pool 1956
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Restoration work on the Carousel in 1970's
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Pullen Park History
History Pullen Park was founded on March 22, 1887 by Richard Stanhope Pullen. Once farm land, Mr. Pullen donated the land as a gift to the City of Raleigh to be used as park land. He characterized it as on old cow pasture, red and rocky. He intended this land to be used for the recreation use and pleasure of the inhabitants and the visitors to the City of Raleigh. Through his visions, Pullen Park became the first public park in North Carolina.
Mr. Pullen hired a Park Keeper in 1888, Wiley A. Howell. Mr. Pullen and Mr. Howell began the development of the park as we know it today with the planting of trees, and shrubbery. Some of these trees are still around today. You will notice larger magnolias, cedars, and willow oaks which are trees Mr. Pullen loved best. Mr. Pullen and Mr. Howell worked closely together in building bridges over the railroad track and Rocky Branch, building a circular pavilion, and circular concrete fountain. A lot of buildings and park features were solely financed by Mr. Pullen.
Mr. Pullen built the city’s first swimming pool in 1891 which was made out of wood and to be used exclusively by men. Later in 1895, Mr. Pullen had designated a second location for a swimming pool to be used exclusively by ladies and girls. From 1899 to 1938, a small animal zoo occupied some of the grounds in Pullen Park. The first miniature train was purchase in 1950.Through years of development, the park has added a carousel, train, kiddie boats, pedal boats, concessions stand, picnic facilities, indoor aquatic center, community center, arts center, ball fields, tennis courts and a theatre to make it what it is today.. According to the census of the National Amusement Park Historical Association, Pullen Park is the 14th oldest amusement park in the world.
Carousel - By summer of 1915, Pullen Park had its first steam driven “merry-go-round”. In the fall of 1920, the City Board voted to “replace the antiquated merry-go-round” by purchasing the current carousel and building from Bloomsbury Park. Repaired and repainted the carousel was ready to ride on Easter Monday in 1921. A severe storm delayed the opening until April 1, 1921.
The circa 1900, intricately hand carved machine, was made by master carver Salvatore Cernigliaro and his apprentices in Germantown, Pennsylvania for the Dentzel Carousel Company. According to the National Carousel Association Census, this is one of 23 remaining historic Dentzel carousels and one of 14 Dentzel menageries still operating in Northern America.
This Dentzel Carousel is three-abreast, stationary and galloping menagerie machine. The No. 106 carousel is 50 feet in diameter, with an 18-section platform. 52 animals and two chariots make up the carousel of which 16 are stationary and 36 animals are galloping. The inside rim of the machine is comprised of 18 large gilded mirrors and 18 canvas panels. The outside rim, 18 large panels depicting animal portraits alternate with smaller panel paintings of landscape scenes. Music is provided by the Wurlitzer 125 Military Band Organ. The band organ dates back from 1900 to 1924.
In 1976, the carousel was accepted for the National Register of Historic Places. A major restoration was undertaken from 1977 – 1982. The Pullen project was the first restoration of a carousel where layers of park paint were entirely removed to expose and save the original. Original paint has been documented and preserved on 28 of the animals. From there the original color and design were reproduced as closely as possible.
C.P. Huntington Train - Our miniature train is one-third size, near exact replica of the original unnamed locomotive that was built in 1863 at the Danforth-Cook Locomotive works in Patterson, New Jeresy. The Civil War was raging and locomotives were hard to come by. Having been built for someone unable to pay, it would eventually play an important part in building the first Transcontinental Railroad.
In 1864, the Central Pacific Railroad, now part of the Great Southern Pacific System, started the unbelievable task of building a railroad from the Pacific eastward over the mountains. Collis P. Huntington, the dynamic Vice-President of Central Pacific, located the little locomotive in New Jersey. It was too small for Federal use, bought it, dismantled it and shipped it to San Francisco by the way of Cape Horn.
After arriving in San Francisco , the locomotive was reassembled and painted It ran on April 9, 1864. It was christened the “C.P Huntington C.P. #3”. The Huntington was twenty nine feet long, weighed thirty nine thousand pounds, when loaded, had traction power of thirty one hundred and fifty pounds and developed two hundred thirty-five horsepower at fifty miles per hour. This locomotive was assigned to construction work where it was used to pull wooded flat cars on rails as new track was constructed.
In 1871, this locomotive was used to pull a private car of Leland Stanford, who was both President of Central Pacific Railroad and Governor of California. Because is could not compete with the heavier locomotives, in 1897 the C.P. Huntington was laid aside. In 1900 it was considered obsolete and ordered demolished. About 1904, the C.P. Huntington was repaired and repainted by a shop man named Joel Osgood Wilder, who loved the little engine.
Pullen Park Map
For More Information Contact:
Marvin Howell
Pullen Amusements Supervisor
Parks and Recreation Department
520 Ashe Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27606
919-831-6468
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