One of Broome County's six historic carousels has been out of commission for years, but the good news is, it'll soon be restored better than ever.

The George W. Johnson Park Carousel in Endicott is one of six donated to Broome County.

Following years of wear and tear, the North Side Park landmark was in need of a major restoration. 

"Our plan is to repaint everything obviously, top to bottom. We do have new safety structures," said Brett Manchester, Village of Endicott Street and Parks Department supervisor.

The interior restoration will be in line with the original historic criteria. As for the mechanical side, it originally ran on gears and a belt system. That's now being replaced with an on-off switch. The original motor will be on display, and a fence will be installed for safety. 

But, as Manchester and the village found out, there aren't many companies left that know how to work on carousels. 

"We had to look all over and find one that helped us quite a lot. We redid all the bearing structure on it and we had to upgrade the motor because, obviously being so old, it was a challenge to find parts," said Manchester.

The restoration of the interior and exterior is taking place thanks to a state historic preservation grant secured by former Mayor John Bertoni and Secretary Barb Mizerak. 

It was originally designed as a mobile carousel and wasn't enclosed until 1999. 

Chianis & Anderson Architects in Binghamton is handling the exterior restoration.

"Right now, they're putting in the vents and they will be putting the shingles on. They're doing the shingles now," said Manchester.

The roof now includes a venting system to allow natural air flow inside the carousel. The project also has a heavy focus on safety.

"Our rear entrance will be handicapped accessible," said Manchester.

The restoration has been in the talks for a number of years, and for Manchester, getting it done by next year holds a special meaning to him. That's when he plans to retire from the village and he knows just how much this means to the community.

"I have more than one person stop and say I remember as a kid, they rode this, and you know, everybody loved it and it's free to the public, so it's a nice thing to have," said Manchester.

The project is expected to be completed by July 2021.