The National Mall in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Carousel on the Mall, Washington, D.C.

By Richard E. Miller, August 29, 2013

1. Carousel on the Mall, Washington, D.C. Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

On August 28, 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, not far from here. On that same day, this carousel was part of a small but significant victory for Civil Rights about 40 miles away, as segregation ended at Baltimore’s Gwynn Oak Amusement Park after nearly a decade of protests there. The first African American child to go on a ride at Gwynn Oak that day was 11-month-old Sharon Langley. With her father Charles Langley, Jr. by her side, she took a spin on the park’s carousel, as news reporters snapped photos. In 1981, the Gwynn Oak carousel S.N. 105948, a classic, built by the Allan Herschell Co., was relocated here to the National Mall, where it has always been open to everyone and stands as a symbol of the harmony of which Dr. King dreamed.

Erected 2013.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1963.

Location. 38° 53.345′ N, 77°

Carousel on the Mall, Washington, D.C. - Marker on the fence at lower rright image. Click for full size.

By Richard E. Miller, August 29, 2013

2. Carousel on the Mall, Washington, D.C. - Marker on the fence at lower rright

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1.479′ W. Marker is in The National Mall in Washington, District of Columbia. Marker is on Jefferson Drive Southwest west of 7th Street Southwest, on the left when traveling east. On the National Mall, just off the northeast corner of the Smithsonian Institution “Castle” Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1000 Jefferson Drive Southwest, Washington DC 20560, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. An Apple is a Rose (within shouting distance of this marker); The Modern Rose (within shouting distance of this marker); Arts and Industries Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Pluto (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Arts and Industries Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Voyage (within shouting distance of this marker); A Common Language (within shouting distance of this marker); Before the National Air and Space Museum opened (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in The National Mall.

Also see . . . How a Carousel Ride Became Part of America’s Civil Rights History. By Lauren Ehrler, PBS Newshour, August 26, 2013 at 1:23 PM EST. (Submitted on January 1, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)

Additional keywords. merry-go-round

Carousel on the Mall, Washington, D.C. image. Click for full size.

By Richard E. Miller, August 29, 2013

3. Carousel on the Mall, Washington, D.C.

- view from the east, the Washington Monument in background, the Smithsonian "Castle" behind the trees, center-middle.