About the Port Townsend Carousel Association

Photo above shows the Carousel of the Olympic Sea operating in 1994 at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.  As the carousel was completed by various classes at the Port Townsend High School, the P.T.C.A. exhibited it at the festivals in 1994-95-97-98-99. In 2000 the P.T.C.A. operated the Sausalito Carousel, a sister carousel to the Carousel of the Olympic Sea, in Port Townsend's Pope Marine Park.

Established in 1984, the Port Townsend Carousel Association is a Washington State non-profit corporation and a federally recognized 501c-3 non-profit corporation* dedicated to carousel history and the appreciation, construction and operation of a carousel made in Port Townsend. The local carousel we have created is called "The Carousel of the Olympic Sea". The construction of the carousel has been a broad ranged school project under close supervision guidance from William H. Dentzel involving all grades of the Port Townsend Public Schools. The P.T.C.A.'s relationship with the school district came about over a period of years with classroom programs beginning in October of 1991. All funding for the carousel has been by private donation. Many hundreds of volunteer hours have been contributed as well as in-kind donations of materials.

Bill Dentzel
President, PTCA

*Washington State since 1984, U.S. (federal) 501(c)(3) since 1986.

Projects Completed:

1. 2005: Assistance with Solar Living Institute Solar Carousel, Hopland CA.
2. 1999: Assistance with Lenny and Joe's Magical Charity Carousel, Madison CT.
3. 1996: Assistance with Bonnie and Steve's Carousel, McMinnville TN.
4. 1994:  Construction of Carousel of the Delta Breeze in PTHS Vocational Department, Davis CA.
5. 1994-2000: Operation of locally built carousels at festivals and 2000 summer season.
6. 1991-1999, 2007: Construction of the Carousel of the Olympic Sea, donated to Waveland MS.
7. 1991: Assistance with Bay Area Children's Museum Carousel, Sausalito CA.
8. 1991-1999: Carousel construction and painting in Port Townsend public schools.
9. 1986: Assistance with Jalapa/Port Townsend Sister City Carousel and Park Development Project, Jalapa, Nicaragua.
10. 1984: Assistance with North Star Tree Farm Park Carousel, Kelsey CA.