Newburyport – The Newburyport Bank Charitable Foundation has committed $250,000 to the Salisbury Beach Partnerships’ Fund for the restoration and the recreation of the Historical Carousel. This commitment includes the naming rights for the building that will house the Carousel. In addition, the Bank will install a “micro branch” in the new Carousel complex providing customers the ability to conduct transactions, as well as secure face-to-face virtual meetings with Newburyport Bank representatives.
The return of the historic carousel also restores a popular ride attraction and beloved family tradition of riding the Broadway Flying Horses at Salisbury Beach. After 60 plus years in Massachusetts, the original Salisbury Beach carousel was sold and moved to San Diego, CA. After being auctioned in 2005, an unfortunate sequence of events saw the original carousel broken beyond repair. In its stead in 2019, the Salisbury Beach Partnership acquired one of the few remaining menagerie carousels built and hand-carved by Looff-Mangels, original artisans of the craft. The new carousel will be enclosed in an octagonal building to allow for year-round access, provide space for events and activities, and showcase Salisbury as a vibrant oceanfront destination.
“It’s not often that you get the opportunity to participate in restoring history,” said Lloyd L. Hamm, President & CEO of the Bank. “For so many years the Carousel at Salisbury Beach was a place where families gathered to see children, and adults too, have an incredible time riding the Broadway Flying Horses. So, when we heard about the Partnership’s plan to bring the Carousel back to Salisbury Beach, the Newburyport Bank Charitable Foundation ‘jumped’ to support it. We’re so pleased to bring the ‘new’ version back, and also the opportunity to bring a new type of banking office to the location to serve our existing and new customers. Together we’re ready to write a new historical chapter. We would also like to thank Wayne Capolupo and the Salisbury Beach Partnership for inviting us to be part of this wonderful opportunity.”