HAMPTON, Va. — The Hampton City Council may decide if it should move the city's historic carousel at its next meeting on Wednesday.
The century-old carousel, currently located on the Hampton River waterfront, is one of only 170 functioning antique carousels in the country and "a rare and beautiful example of American folk art," according to a city news release.
However, the carousel is currently in disrepair and is at risk of flooding at its current downtown location. It sits on a spot where the ground elevation is five to six feet above sea level, according to an estimate from Guernsey Tingle Architect and President Tom Tingle.
“Any new building built in the city now, the bottom floor has to be 11 feet above sea level," city spokesperson Robin McCormick said earlier this year.
The building's floor is 8.37 feet above sea level, which is below the current 11-foot requirement for new construction.
A report Tingle presented to the city council earlier this year detailed two potential locations the where carousel could be moved: Downtown Hampton's Mill Point Park, which is eight to nine feet above sea level, and Buckroe Beach, a block from the water.
The Hampton Carousel
To disassemble and reassemble the carousel in a new building would cost $2.5 million at the current location downtown, $2.51 million at Mill Point Park, and $2.8 million at Buckroe Beach, according to Tingle's estimate.
The report also mentioned another option to repair the carousel and its current building for about $316,800 but specified this would be a short-term solution due to the threat of flooding.
According to the agenda for Hampton's next city council meeting on Wednesday, a public hearing will be held for the people of Hampton to voice their thoughts on where the carousel should be moved to, if at all.
After the public comment, "it is anticipated that Council may take action," according to the agenda.
The city council meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, at Hampton City Hall.
The carousel, which was originally located at the Buckroe Beach Amusement Park in the 1920s, is more than 100 years old and is considered a historic artifact.
It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but has been closed since last summer when inspectors found issues with the supporting rods and the poles lifting the horses.