Spillman Engineering Corporation, North Tonawanda 1920's
Carrousel Manufacturers

From the Buffalo Courier, black & white photos by W. H. Porterfield. Captions are original. WNY Heritage Press Collection


The head in it first stages. A solid block of wood sawed to the contours of a horse's head.

The photos here were taken at the Spillman Engineering factory at the corner of Goundry and Oliver Street in North Tonawanda. That location was where Allen Herschell founded his carrousel business in 1900 (known at that time as the Herschell-Spillman Company). By 1913, Herschell retired from the business but in 1916 started the Allen Herschell Company, competing with his former partners. They in turn renamed their company Spillman Engineering to avoid confusion.


Developing the head. After machinery has done as much as it can skilled workmen do a bit of hand carving
on the finer details to complete the woooden form.

Only master carvers were allowed to work on the finish details for the carrousel horses' heads. The rough cuts for the
head were made by apprentices or journeymen from basswood or yellow poplar.


A 2008 photo from the Carrousel Museum workshop, 180 Thompson Street, North Tonawanda..


The body is first built up solidly as shown in the above illustration. The projecting piece on top will eventually be the back of the saddle.


Assemblying the head, body and legs. After this is completed it is sent up to the painting department.

Journeymen were expected to finish a body every four days.

 


Painting a panel. These panels, decorated with wild west pictures, etc., obscure the organ and machinery.


The race of the wooden horses. These fine steeds have received their priming coat of paint and are waiting to have the artist paint 'em
up in fancy colors, gray, black, white with spots, tan, red-brown, etc. At first glance one might take the above for a spectacular
horse race. It is interesting to visit this factory and see the wonderful workmanship on these animals for merry-go-rounds.

After three to five coats of primer, the body colors were finished first, then the saddles and tack.


2008 photo of carrousel horses made at Spillman Engineering in the 1920's. The Carrousel Museum.

 


Almost completed. A half-dozen beautiful ponies, with only a few dabs of paint necessary to complete the job.


An interesting art. This young man is deeply absorbed in the fascinating work the artist is doing with his brush. This particular
horse is gray with white spots, and the saddle, etc., is of gold and bright colors just as you have seen them on the
merry-go-rounds. The paint job on horses is much more intricate than on automobiles.

 


2008 photo of the factory Roundhouse containing the working carrousel 1916 #1 Special, one of the first three
made and shipped from the Thompson Street factory. Taken at the Carrousel Museum.


The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, 180 Thompson Street in 2008.

In 1945, the Allen Herschell Company purchased the Spillman Engineering Company. After future sales to out-of-town buyers, the last carrousel made in Western New York was in 1970. In 1983, the Herschell factory was opened as the museum it is today. For more information, see their web: http://www.carrouselmuseum.org/

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