In 1857, Dr. Edwin Eldridge purchased what would later become known as Eldridge Park, Elmira, NY. The land had a lake, lots of trees, and plenty of beautiful natural features. The very first feature of the park was a sculpture garden, which included many statues and a beautiful fountain.

In 1870, Dr. Eldridge opened the park to the public. The idea was that his patients and their friends and families could come to the park for exercise and fresh air. Multiple entrances were added, the Casino–a four-story building that functioned as both a restaurant and observatory (and no gambling!)–was built, and land was cleared to form a walking trail around the lake.

It was a popular picnicking spot for everyone. On any given Sunday you could find children at the park with their parents and Sunday school teachers, as benches had been placed around an angelic statue and sermons were given to the crowd.

An E. M. Van Aken stereoscopic card of the time describes the park in great detail:

There are many pieces of statuary to be noticed. In front of the main entrance on three mounds, that partially surround a fountain are the figures of Winter, Summer and a Deer, the fountain itself being a figure of a sprite enjoying the water as it gushes forth. A little further on, sitting on a rock in the lake a few feet from the shore, is the figure of Andromeda, a work especially imported for the place it occupies. Further on to the left is a statue of Flora, watching a garden that surrounds her, and in the miniature Lake Sabrina, a figure of that nymph from which it gets its name. On the level plateau south of the Casino is the statue of Contemplation, and also that of the Maid of the Mist. Just below is the jungle or labyrinth, a large and apparently wild piece of undergrowth, pierced by many winding footpaths. Overlooking it, to the west is the statue of the Indian and his dog. Chapel Grove is to the north of the lake and approaching it on prepared elevations, are the statues of “Eve and the Apple.” and “Night”. A drive to the right of the Casino takes you around the turtle pond and beside the Conservatory, which is to be in charge of Mr. Grove Rawson. Near this is one of the most beautiful figures in the Park, that of “Venus”. Proceeding on is Chapel Grove accommodated for purposes of public meetings and Sunday services. Passing and going on around the lake, the Spring Grove is reached, where is a spring of sulphur water. Above it, on a high terrace, is a flower garden, around which by the drive, one of the pleasantest in the Park, is passed the figure of Apollo Belvidere on a mound standing in the center of an artificial lake. Coming back toward the Spring Grove, other miniature lakes are seen, dotting the way like mirrors.

On a brisk October morning, in 1875, a 13-year-old Standardbred racing horse, American Girl, was fully recovered from an unspecified illness. Her rider, John L. Doty, was confident in her ability to win the inaugural harness race at the Eldridge Driving Park. Her owner, William Lovell, had the horse race 52 times. Valued at $25,000, she’d only won one race but was expected to win at Eldridge.

American Girl was in first place at the first turn, but she fell at the quarter-pole and died instantly. The story goes that her fall was slow and gentle, and a rainbow appeared over the park as her spirit departed this world.

A statue, American Girl, was built in her honor in 1876 by the Elmira Driving Park Association. The statue cost $2,500 to construct and originally stood directly on the spot where American Girl had died. When the race track closed in 1883, they moved American Girl to another section of the park. The statue still stands today.

Unfortunately, in 1876 Dr. Eldridge suddenly passed away. His plans to develop the park were put on hold. The park, bequeathed to his family, continued to be a popular destination. The train stopped right at Eldridge Park, so even those who were not local could enjoy it. A bear pit at the park attracted a rowdy crowd–police were called on one occasion when spectators threw fire crackers at the bears!

When Dr. Eldridge died, the city was given the option to buy the park from the Eldridge family, but they declined.

The city placed an ad asking for a merry-go-round to be installed at Eldridge Park. Robert A. Long answered the call. His family had been building amusement park rides for years in Philadelphia and had an old Looff carousel in Atlantic City, NJ. The carousel had three rows of animals including horses and a lion. Of course, it was just a simple carousel. There was no up-and-down motion, no brass ring dispenser… It was relocated to Eldridge Park.

Long would manage the carousel for 55 years, making improvements along the way.

The text for this section is by Bill Cook.

Oh, the anticipation of this ride was better than the ride itself. Waiting in line and watching was half the fun. Riders got jerked around the circular course and as they went into a turn, braced for the whipping action of the car to press them back into their seat, only to be jerked forward again as they went through the straightaway headed for another turn just seconds away from the previous one.

Upchucking was not an uncommon site on this spine-breaker.

Robert A. Long knew what he wanted. He wanted jumping horses. He’d installed the Looff carousel at Eldridge 18 years before, and it had become a passion. In 1942, he converted 20 of the 54 carousel animals into jumpers. He actually changed the carousel’s stationary horses into jumping horses by installing new mechanisms and carving the horses’ legs into ‘jumping legs.’

He also installed a ring dispenser. Riders would try to grab the brass ring. If you were lucky enough to get it, you won a free ride.

The text for this section is by Bill Cook with images by Bob Sardo.

“Now appearing on stage: Magician Lew Thrasher and his lovely wife and assistant, Polly!”

Those might have been the words you’d hear during a wonderful evening at Eldridge back in the 1940s. There were many stage and aerial acts that performed for appreciative audiences at the park. Each evening would start out with a movie that began right about dusk.

A fourteen-year-old, Bob Sardo was the projectionist. His family also owned several of the concessions stands and ran the old-time movies that were part of the evening entertainment.

“I remember one night my dad told me not to run the title or the credits,” said Sardo. “The movie advertised Bing Crosby, but it was one of Bing’s early movies and so he had kind of a bit part in it. When I asked Dad why he didn’t want to show the title or the credits, he said, ‘This movie is so old, I’m ashamed to have to show it.'”

But sometimes there were some pretty good movies, including shoot-em-up westerns, which were a favorite in those days. Usually they were two reels in length and Bob would load up the second reel and then wait awhile to start it so as to give everyone a chance to go get more popcorn and drinks.

“The first year my dad showed the movies, he only had one projector,” said Sardo. “It was an old 1932 Motion Graph that was hand cranked. You’d crank it at a speed of 24 frames a second–and no take up reel. He didn’t have time to rewind the film between reels, so he’d have two bags of film on the floor at the end of the movie. Being a hand-cranked machine, it was obviously for silent films only. After the first year, he brought in two Powers machines with sound. So, by the time I got involved in it, we were modern.”

The movies would start at 9:00 and be over by 10:30 with the intermission. And then at 11, the stage or aerial acts would begin.”

The circus acts that were held at Eldridge Park were a popular attraction, and locals will share many fond memories of tight-rope walkers and flaming rings. From 1952 until 1976, Jay Parker was the one who booked the circus every year. When he retired, so did the circus acts.

In 1980, after standing for over a century in the park, the American Girl statue was destroyed by vandals. They took to the statue with bats and rocks, and left it in 147 pieces. Sculptors and artists agreed: the statue was not salvageable.

The pieces were collected and put into storage, where they would sit for nearly three decades.

Vandalism would continue to be a problem in the park for the remainder of the decade.

People had repeatedly vandalized the park in the 1980s, including destroying statues, breaking into the buildings, and tagging the features. The carousel and carousel building were damaged more than a dozen times just in the summer of 1988, even after steel doors were installed on the building. Eventually, Robert A. Long’s children, who had lovingly tended to the carousel after his retirement in 1980, decided enough was enough.

In 1989, the Long family removed the carousel and auctioned off the animals. Five horses were kept by the Long family as mementos. The carousel mechanism was donated to the city.

As the carousel building no longer had a carousel, it was converted to a market. Called the Carousel Farm and Craft Market, it opened in June 1991 with 120 vendors! On opening day, over 10,000 people attended the market, which took place every Tuesday. Initial success gave way to dwindling attendance and ever decreasing revenue, and the market was closed in 1996.

In the late 1990s, the city installed several sports fields for players of all ages to enjoy, including soccer fields and baseball fields.

In 2001, skating had become very popular among young people and the city installed a skate park. Teens took to the skate park immediately.

Bob Lyon, an Elmira dentist, saw the carousel mechanism and had an inspiration. He would restore the carousel to its former glory! He founded the Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society and immediately took to work. Over four years, various artists carved and painted 20 replicas of the original animals based on auction photographs of the original ride. Carvers included:

• Lawrence and Jerry Pefferly of Cornersville, TN
• John Kolanach of Catlin, NJ
• Oscar Pivaral of San Francisco, CA
• Frederick Dilworth of New Holland, PA
• Dave Albrecht of Minnesota
• John McKenzie
• Various carvers from Bud Ellis Studios in Soddy Daisy, TN

Lyons would faithfully serve with the Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society until he resigned in 2010.

On May 27, 2006, the carousel–lovingly restored thanks to the Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society–officially opened to the public. Twenty thousand people attended the grand opening. There are fewer than 20 of these kinds of carousels left in the United States, and the Eldridge Park Carousel is rumored to be the fastest carousel in the world!

The old Whip building was converted into a dance hall in 2007.

In 2008, Jasper the Dragon Boat returned to the park! The dragon paddle boats you see at the park today were added in subsequent years.

The Mark Twain mini-golf course opened in 2010 and features a replica of the Mark Twain Study, a kiddie train, several fountains and waterfalls. That summer, the park held a chicken BBQ night once a month.

A new horse, America, was added to the carousel in remembrance of September 11.

The original plane ride, the Thunderbirds, returned to the park in 2012. The original location of the ride was over the lake, but the re-installation involved moving the ride to the Midway.

In 2012, a new midway proposal was developed by Hunt Engineers, Architects, & Land Surveyors, P.C. The midway consisted of a beautifully paved walkway surrounded by lots of greenery, which would be built directly in front of the carousel building. The midway was completed and opened to the public in 2013. This year also saw the return of the original Pony Carts ride. A flash flood on July 1, 2013, saw the midway submerged, but thanks to the work of volunteers, recovery was quick.

The Turtle Chase was added in 2013 and is much loved by the littlest riders! This year, we also added a gazebo in memory of Chemung County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Alexander, who passed in the line of duty in 2011.

Tom Beatty, a retired Howell pattern maker, found the pieces of American Girl and knew he could do the impossible: he could remake the statue, good as new. It would cost a bit money, which was provided by the community, and it would take a lot of helping hands. With the help of Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society and S.Q. Fitness Center volunteers, Beatty managed to reconstruct the American Girl statue using 90% of the original materials and the rest from fiberglass.

In 2016, the restored statue was installed within a Victorian-style shed. The enclosure had windows on each side so the beauty of the statue could be taken in, but those wishing the statue harm would be kept out.

The statue was debuted at the park with much fanfare and a fireworks display and is displayed just across from the carousel. It is the only original feature still standing from the 1800s-era Eldridge Park.

Also in 2016, to celebrate the park’s 150th anniversary, local artist Aleta Wynn Yarrow completed a mural at the park displaying all of Eldridge Park’s wonderfully rich history.

Photograph from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

The Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society successfully purchased a ride like the old Whip and returned it to the park. The fully restored tilt-a-whirl opened to the public in the summer of 2021.