Restore Oregon seeks visionary new owner to carry turn-key restoration project through completion

With preservation planning nearly complete, Restore Oregon, Oregon’s only statewide nonprofit historic preservation organization, is reactivating their search for a visionary entity or community with resources adequate to both assume ownership of the iconic Jantzen Beach Carousel and provide a permanent home for it (meaning property and a building.) If no such entity steps forward by September 15, the carousel may be forced to leave Oregon.

When Restore Oregon accepted donation of the carousel back in 2017, they did so with the intention of serving as temporary stewards, knowing that not taking action could result in the carousel being broken apart and sold off in pieces. As they stated after assuming ownership from EDENS, the former owners of Jantzen Beach Center: “Restore Oregon does not intend to be the long-term owner/operator of the carousel. It is our goal, once a new site and plan have been developed, to transfer ownership to an appropriate entity after placing protective covenants on it to ensure its preservation.” This continues to be the organization’s intent, as their area of expertise is historic preservation, not carousel operation.

Restore Oregon has spent over five years working to position the carousel's future owner for success. Using what they are best known for -- their technical expertise in the preservation realm -- the organization has created a turn-key Preservation Roadmap to guide future carousel restoration. But Restore Oregon cannot move this project along to the next phase alone. So, with their six-year anniversary as temporary stewards fast approaching, the organization has set a deadline of September 15, 2023 for finding a site solution in Oregon or Southwest Washington.

One of the largest wooden carousels in North America, and the only one of its kind still in existence, the Jantzen Beach Carousel stands a whopping 28 feet tall and measures over 66 feet across. Thanks to funding from a variety of community partners and philanthropic supporters, Restore Oregon has researched, developed, tested and refined a comprehensive restoration protocol for this magnificent piece of Oregon history. Now, with its wooden, mechanical and electrical inventories and assessments completed; an assortment of horses and carousel canopy pieces successfully repaired and repainted; abundant photo and video documentation; and a multi-gallery exhibit on display at the Oregon Historical Society outlining restoration best practices in detail, the preservation planning phase is winding down. This means it is time to solve the critical next challenge in this process: identifying a new owner for the carousel who can construct a permanent home for it, and execute full restoration.

In return for providing this magnificent carousel with a home, Restore Oregon can offer:

• Ownership of the carousel itself – a priceless, century-old, hand-carved work of art with the potential to become a strong economic driver in a business district, or a popular sub attraction within an existing tourist destination
• A truly turn-key restoration project, complete with a detailed protocol to guide carousel repair, repainting and reassembly
• Technical support as a preservation consultant to aid with restoration, if desired
• An archive (physical and digital) of historic Jantzen Beach Carousel photos and artifacts
• Established relationships with community partners, funders and carousel artisans

Restore Oregon acknowledges the carousel’s size makes securing a new home challenging but does not believe rehoming is impossible, particularly if there is strong community support. Although Restore Oregon intends to continue to give priority consideration to sites within the Portland Metro area, they are open to working with any community in Oregon or Southwest Washington, provided that the community is able to offer a viable path forward for the carousel. Because its wooden elements are over 100 years old, the carousel must be housed indoors, in a climate-controlled environment, to ensure longevity. An open-air structure is not an option.

“Five years ago, Restore Oregon stepped up to save the carousel from being sold. Now we need our community to step up to allow this project to move forward,” says Carousel Planning and Education Director Stephanie Brown. “We have conducted market research and community education and outreach. We’ve also done extensive preservation planning and testing, with gorgeous results. Donors and community partners are excited and engaged, and the carousel is perfectly positioned for the next step in its journey: restoration and reassembly.”

Now is the time for those who love the Jantzen Beach Carousel to rally together to secure a future for this beloved landmark, here in the Pacific Northwest. If a viable home is not identified by the September 15 deadline, Restore Oregon will have no choice but to market the carousel nationally. Hoping to avoid that outcome at all costs, Restore Oregon urges interested property owners to reach out with proposals by emailing stephanie@restoreoregon.org or calling (503) 243-1923.

Status of Restore Oregon’s Partnership with Portland Diamond Project

In February 2020, just a few short weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Restore Oregon announced an exclusive partnership with Portland Diamond Project, with the intention of locating the Jantzen Beach Carousel within a planned Major League Baseball stadium development. Since then, the Portland Diamond Project has been a phenomenal partner whose one-time donation helped restoration testing proceed unhindered during the pandemic. However, three years have passed since joining forces, and the partnership agreement has expired. Both parties have mutually agreed not to extend the partnership for a fourth consecutive year, and Restore Oregon has begun to widen their site search. Restore Oregon has tremendous faith in the talented Portland Diamond Project team, and wishes them every success in bringing Major League Baseball to Portland. “We have enjoyed a great relationship with Restore Oregon, but our exclusive partnership agreement has expired,” said Craig Cheek, Founder and President of Portland Diamond Project. “We understand why Restore Oregon feels it is necessary to explore additional site options sooner rather than later, and wish them well with their search. Ultimately, we all want the same thing: to see this beautiful, historic carousel up and running again."

Please direct questions about the Portland Diamond Project and their efforts to bring Major League Baseball to Portland to craig@portlanddiamondproject.com.

 

About Restore Oregon

Founded in 1977, Restore Oregon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for sound preservation policy and legislation. Our mission is to preserve, reuse and pass forward the historic places and spaces that reflect Oregon’s diverse cultural heritage and make our communities inclusive, vibrant, liveable, and sustainable. Each year, we provide statewide educational programming and technical assistance, while working to save sites and structures, like the Jantzen Beach Carousel, which are part of our Oregon’s Most Endangered Places program. We also hold conservation easements on over 45 historic properties, thereby protecting them in perpetuity.

The Jantzen Beach Carousel has provided Restore Oregon with a unique opportunity to demonstrate how the process of historic preservation planning works, and why it is so vital to any preservation project, be that preservation of an object (like the carousel), a landscape, a structure, or a building. 

Our team spent the pandemic testing repair and painting processes to finalize protocols for inclusion in our Preservation Roadmap. While every horse on the carousel is different, testing always started with the same step. With each test horse, we began by reviewing notes and photos in our condition assessment database to understand the extent of any visible damage, and the steps we might need to take to address that damage.

Of course, surprises often lurked beneath the paint, so we learned it was wise to assume additional challenges would emerge during the repair process. Test repairs typically took several months, with some horses requiring over 400 hours of carpentry. Fortunately, we were able to spend those months refining our rendering and painting process, so painting could begin as soon as repairs were completed. Ultimately, by carefully testing repair and painting methods on several horses with different needs, we were able to adjust our Preservation Roadmap to include proven step-by-step protocols to guide full restoration of the carousel in the future. Because we allowed ourselves the time to be methodical about testing and refining our methods, we are now confident that when the time comes, we will know exactly how to Re-Turn the Jantzen Beach Carousel!

Watch this quick slideshow of Arthur's restoration journey...

Restore Oregon would like to thank the donors whose generosity has made this preservation planning work possible including our anonymous donor at the Oregon Community Foundation, Portland Diamond Project, Craig Cheek, Sandy and Harvey Platt, Oregon Cultural Trust, Juan Young Trust, Kinsman Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Oregon Heritage Commission and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and the National Carousel Association. THANK YOU!