Many American big cities have seen the demise of the downtown district due to damage done by economic recessions, but the Richland Park Carrousel has breathed new life into downtown Mansfield.

   As owners of the first hand-carved wooden carousel made in the United States since the 1930s, the Richland Carrousel Park is a non-profit organization that draws people of all ages to downtown Mansfield.

   More than 100 bus tours visit the carousel each year and more than three million people have ridden the hand-carved animals since the park opened, according to Francis Reddy, director of the Richland Carrousel Park.

   “It’s been the cornerstone of the redevelopment that’s taken place in the area, henceforth, ‘The Carrousel District,’” said Jamie Thompson, co-director of Downtown Mansfield, Inc.

   The Carrousel District was a response to comedic commentary on the area from actor Bill Cosby when he performed at the local Renaissance Theater.

   “When Mr. Cosby visited in ’88, much of Main Street was in major disrepair,” Thompson said. “The buildings were trash; they were in rubble… He said, ‘Why do you even have a Main Street here?’”

   All of that changed when the Richland Carrousel Park opened in 1991. The carousel was the brainchild of a group of local investors who realized that Cosby was right and set out to recreate downtown Mansfield.

   The idea was to develop a focal point for downtown that would bring both people and businesses to the area.

   Once the carousel itself was underway, the investors began purchasing other local properties and renovating them to encourage more people to lease space in downtown.

   “One by one, those properties started to take on a new life,” Thompson said.

   In order to help stimulate development and promote downtown businesses, the non-profit organization Downtown Mansfield, Inc. was founded in 1989. Thompson said one of their main objectives in recent years has been to focus on bringing a younger crowd to the area.

   “After 10 years of working in various capacities in Downtown Mansfield, Inc., I’ve heard many times, ‘How do we get youth downtown?’” she said.

   Thompson’s organization has made an effort to bring more entertainment to the Carrousel District and to sponsor events that are free and open to the public.

   “Individuals in a younger generation…are not trying to travel far distances to get all of the things they need,” Thompson said. “When it comes to entertainment, as we’ve kind of battened down the hatches economically, it’s more feasible to be somewhere closer and do something that’s less expensive and still quality.”

   Martinis on Main, a bar located catty-corner from the carousel, has an outdoor patio where Downtown Mansfield Inc. hosts a variety of events.

   “It’s an expansive brick parking lot by day and at night this becomes a home for [entertainment],” Thompson said.

   The Final Friday Concert Series runs from May through October the last Friday of the month, featuring artists such as the Red Ball Jets and Déjà Vu.

   “We also open the stage up and we have some…local talent nights where we seek out other individuals in the community who are looking for a place to jam,” Thompson said. “We don’t try to do things that everybody else does.”

   Downtown Mansfield Inc. also offers outdoor movies the first Friday of each month May through October.

   They’ve shown locally-produced films like “The Shawshank Redemption” as well as new releases and old favorites.

   Attendance for the concerts ranges from 200 to 1,000 while the films average approximately 100 viewers, according to Thompson.

   Local restaurants, bars and cafes are open during both series to offer refreshments.

   PB and Jelly Beans is a recently-opened coffee shop near Martinis on Main that also offers soup, sandwiches, homemade desserts and breakfast.

   The “cool and intimate” coffee shop celebrated its one-year anniversary in October, Thompson said. They also provide catering services and host birthday parties, tea parties and story times for children.

   Thompson said it’s not easy for new businesses like PB and Jelly Beans to survive.

   “I definitely think that it’s hard for any new business to be successful anywhere,” she said. “It’s not for everyone. You’re not going to go into a small business so you can take your first vacation.”

   Reddy agreed.

   “In the economy that we’re in…you have to become more creative,” he said.

   The nature of the downtown district in Mansfield makes it easier, though, according to Thompson.

   “When you come into our downtown district, you already have this sense of community,” she said. “Downtown businesses are very loyal to one another.”

   Compared to other communities in the region, Mansfield has seen less businesses close in recent years. Thompson said she couldn’t think of a single business that has closed in the last 18 months.

   “Certainly these folks have really weathered some storms over the past 12 to…even 24 months,” she said. “We’ve really been fortunate.”

   The Richland Carrousel Park remains one of the reasons for the continued success of downtown Mansfield.

   “We try and do a lot of functions that partner with the carousel,” Thompson said.

   But the carousel needs the rest of the downtown district to help it survive, too, according to Reddy.

   “With any non-profit, you’re dependent on local business and those partnerships,” he said. “We work a lot with the shops in the Carrousel District as well as Downtown Mansfield, Inc.”

   Classic car cruise-ins, a summer farmer’s market, and the city’s Christmas tree lighting are just a few of the events held at or near the Richland Carrousel Park.

   “I’m involved at least on some level in most of the events down here, so it takes a lot of partnership to make those things happen,” Reddy said.

   “We do free rides for kids under 12 on Friday nights and things like that to help give back to the community that we’re in.”

   The carousel gives the community much more than just free rides.

   “Because of the tourist-based draw [of the carousel], there was then a need for other retail and restaurant entities to come in,” Thompson said.

   Thompson added that the carousel has become a “mecca” for families and children, which is what makes it such a vital part of the downtown district and its continued growth.