City of Meridian works to repair the Dentzel Carousel in Highland Park

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - A one-of-a-kind piece of history in the Queen City will soon be getting some much-needed improvements.

The City of Meridian’s Parks and Recreation Department has applied for a Mississippi Historic Site Preservation Grant to restore the Dentzel Carousel in Highland Park.

The department says the grant would be used the repair and update the paint on the carousel.

The Parks and Recreation Director, Thomas Adams, said the carousel ride has been closed since May so the city is excited to get the funds they need to make the upgrades to this national treasure.

“In regards to the Preservation Grant that we have applied for and is basically geared towards the money that we are applying for. We are applying for an 80/20, a 20 percent matching grant. So, we are looking to get 80 percent coming from the state, which will be around 400,000 dollars and the city will have to match around about a 100,000. We do have that money budgeted for 2023,” said Adams.

The Mississippi Historic Site Preservation Grants are awarded to sites all around the state.

News 11 will keep you updated as we learn more about the restoration of the carousel.

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