Lead paint discovered on antique carousel horses shuts down historic Greenport ride

A historic century-old carousel in Greenport will remain shuttered to the public until at least Memorial Day after officials discovered lead paint on several of the vintage horses, according to Mayor Kevin Stuessi.

The discovery was made late last month when a restoration expert, hired by the administration of former Mayor George Hubbard to determine how to restore the attraction, tested the paint on one horse and discovered the presence of lead.

The substance was likely from the original paint when the ride was manufactured, Stuessi said. The carousel, which dates back more than a century, was immediately closed and Stuessi, who took office a week later, conducted additional testing that found lead on other horses.

"We are currently reviewing a plan to do the needed cleanup and then to completely remediate the situation and bring it back to life," Stuessi said. "And then over time, we would launch a larger restoration effort to take the horses off and do that work off site, as it should be done, and restore them on a longer-term basis."

It's unclear, Stuessi said, why the lead paint had not been previously discovered or if tests had ever been conducted on the carousel's paint. He said the paint is not chipping or peeling off the horses — some of which are made from wood, with others aluminum and fiberglass.

Dr. Ken Spaeth, chief of occupational and environmental medicine at Northwell Health, said the safety risk to riders would be extremely minimal if the lead paint was not chipping or peeling. Typically, exposure to lead paint occurs when very young children put paint chips in their mouths.

"It would only be a risk if the paint is coming off and the integrity of the paint is at all in question," Spaeth said. "Then the risk is there. And it doesn't take much to elevate someone's blood level if a kid takes even a very small amount of paint chips."

When lead is absorbed into the body, it can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs such as the kidneys, nerves and blood, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In some cases, lead may also cause behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and, in extreme cases, death, the department advises.

"Generally, if things are in good condition and there is no flaking or issues of integrity, the risk is quite low and conceivably may not pose any meaningful risk," Spaeth said.

Village officials were scheduled to meet Thursday evening to select one of three remediation firms to encapsulate the horses with a clear coat of nontoxic paint, making them safe to ride, the mayor said.

The carousel, located in Mitchell Park, could be open as early as Memorial Day, although a precise time frame has not yet been set, he said.

Funding for the initial work would come out of the village's budget while a fundraising campaign would be launched for the long-term restoration effort, Stuessi said.

The carousel, which has 36 horses, all of which are "jumpers" that go up and down, and two sleighs, is believed to date back to about 1920 and was originally used by a traveling amusement company, according to a village brochure.

Northrop Grumman purchased the ride in the 1950s and set it up at its Calverton plant for use at company picnics and community events. The plant was closed in 1995 and Northrop offered to donate the carousel to a community through a local competition.

Greenport, with the boost of a letter-writing campaign from area third- and fourth-graders, beat out Riverhead and a New Jersey amusement park, officials said.

The carousel, which usually operates year-round and costs $2.50 per ride, is named after Jesse Owen, the attraction's first operator in Greenport, who died in 2001.

"It's an iconic piece of Greenpoint history and the centerpiece of Mitchell Park," Stuessi said. "We have generations who have come over the life of it. It's enormously popular and one of the great things we see is parents who rode it as a child now bringing their kids."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.