Нью-Йорктің бұрынғы ойын-сауық паркі: Сти́плче́йс паркі

Former amusement park in New York City

Steeplechase Park was an amusement park that operated in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, United States, from 1897 to 1964. Steeplechase Park was created by the entrepreneur George C. Tilyou as the first of the three large amusement parks built on Coney Island, the other two being Luna Park (1903) and Dreamland (1904). Of the three, Steeplechase was the longest lasting, running for 67 years. The park covered at its peak. Its first rides were standalone attractions scattered around Coney Island that Tilyou had purchased in the early 1890s. Steeplechase itself opened in 1897 to unite these formerly separate attractions, and quickly gained popularity as a family friendly destination with exhibitionist and risque undertones. It was destroyed by fire in 1907, but was quickly rebuilt. Steeplechase remained profitable as the Tilyou family continually brought in new rides and new amusements, such as the Parachute Jump. However, by the 1960s Steeplechase Park was becoming unprofitable due to high crime, the growth of suburban getaways, and the area's general trend toward residential development. After the park closed in 1964, developer Fred Trump purchased the land and planned to develop it for residential use, but this never occurred, and the site was used seasonally for amusement rides during the 1970s. A dispute ensued over the proposed use of the Steeplechase Park site in the 1980s and 1990s, as two developers disagreed over whether to rebuild the amusement park or build a sports complex on the site. A minor league baseball stadium called Keyspan Park (now Maimonides Park) was built in 2001. The Parachute Jump is the only remaining portion of the former amusement park. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the land under Maimonides Park as part of a green space also called Steeplechase Park. Steeplechase Plaza, a portion of Luna Park (2010) that contains the B&B Carousell, was named in homage to the former Steeplechase Park.

Steeplechase was created by George C. Tilyou (1862–1914). On his honeymoon in 1893, he and his wife visited the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where he saw the 250 feet (76 m) Ferris wheel and wanted to buy it. Since the wheel had already been sold, Tilyou built his own half size version at Surf Avenue, on Coney Island, which soon became Coney Island's biggest attraction. After noting that the nearby Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend and Brighton Beach horseracing tracks were very popular, Tilyou added other rides and attractions on the Coney Island peninsula. He came to own several rides, though none were part of a single park. In fact, until the opening of Paul Boyton's Sea Lion Park nearby in 1895, all of Coney Island's rides were separately operated. As a result, Tilyou's concessions were originally overshadowed by the saloons on nearby Bowery Street.

Steeplechase Park opened in 1897 after Tilyou bought and improved the Steeplechase Horses attraction. Steeplechase was approached by a grand stone archway on Surf Avenue to the north, the top of the archway decorated by four stone horses. The inclusion of a gateway, along with a new 25 cent admission charge, were intended to exclude the "seedier elements" and make the park a family destination. Drinking was prohibited, as was gambling and prostitution. Tilyou adopted a "Funny Face" mascot depicting a smiling man with several dozen teeth, nicknamed "the Tilly", as the icon for his park. The mascot, which became a symbol of Coney Island, represented the area's wholesomeness and neoclassical architecture combined with its veneer of hidden sexuality. Tilyou's personal motto, "Keep 'em laughing", was symbolized by rides with such unconventional names as Whirlpool, Soup Bowl, Human Roulette, Human Pool Table, and Earthquake Staircase. [[File:Steeplechase jack 1905. jpg|thumb|An admissions ticket for Steeplechase Park from 1905. George C. Tilyou's "Funny Face" logo became the iconic symbol of Coney Island. Following Luna Park's success, another amusement park on Coney Island, Dreamland, opened in 1904. At Coney Island's peak in the middle of the 20th century's first decade, the three amusement parks competed with each other and with many independent amusements. This was attributed partially to the variety of transit options available: by 1904, there were five railroads to Coney Island. However, the sale of Steeplechase was annulled in February 1905 after $50,000 had been paid, since "defective titles" prevented the syndicate from purchasing some of the land under the park. From 1905 to 1907, Tilyou refined Steeplechase Park with attractions such as a miniature railroad, an orchestra stand, the Cave of the Winds, a Fads and Fantasy Building, the Limit Building, and a children's pony track. The Limit Building was short lived, being replaced by the Monte Carlo Building in 1907. Even though the fire destroyed nearly everything within Steeplechase Park, Tilyou reportedly remained calm throughout, even promising to host events that had been planned in the park before the fire. The morning after the fire, Tilyou posted a sign in front of the park, which read:
To My Friends: I have troubles today that I had not yesterday. I had troubles yesterday which I have not today. On this site will be built a bigger, better, Steeplechase Park. Admission to the burning ruins — Ten cents. Tilyou stated that the park would be restored to a "grander than ever" condition, but in the meantime, he would erect temporary tent shows. The remaining attractions opened one week after the fire. Ultimately, the park was rebuilt with fireproof steel and concrete structures, as the municipality had passed a law restricting the construction of combustible wooden structures. The park's reconstruction was funded by a $2 million stock measure issued by the Steeplechase Park Company, which Tilyou established in 1908. Tilyou sold 100,000 shares in that company to the public and gave a season pass to everyone who bought a $5 stock certificate. The park partially reopened in April 1908. thumb|A decorative indoor elephant in Steeplechase's vast Pavilion of Fun by Eugene Wemlinger, 1910. Brooklyn Museum. The reconstruction was completed in 1909. The rebuilt park's main attraction was the Pavilion of Fun, a steel and glass enclosure measuring , with an area of It contained several rides and tawdry, exhibitionist attractions reminiscent of the previous iteration of Steeplechase Park, such as the Human Wheel, Human Niagara, the Mixer, and the Grinder. The Pavilion of Fun had opened during the 1908 season. The Ferris wheel was salvaged from the original park and was placed outdoors. A new Steeplechase Horses attraction was built around the pavilion, designed so that riders had to exit through the Pavilion of Fun. Steeplechase also included two new entrances, a plaza overlooking a sunken garden, the Palace of Pleasure, a ballroom, and various sideshows. Several attractions opened in 1912, including the El Dorado Carousel and other structures salvaged from Dreamland after it was destroyed in a 1911 fire. The New York Supreme Court ruled in 1913 that the state government could take over a section of Steeplechase Park, along the Atlantic shoreline, to make way for the public beach. In 1914, Tilyou died, leaving the care of the park to his children; Thomas F. McGowan then became general manager of the park. Other attractions built in the early 1920s included the Frolic spinning ride, bumper cars, the Witchway swing, and a Caterpillar flat ride. Steeplechase Park started hosting several beauty contests near its outdoor pool, providing more entertainment for park patrons. These included the "Modern Venus" Bathing Beauty Contest, first held in 1922, and Grandma's Beauty Contest, which started in 1932. Additionally, Steeplechase lost its private beach during the early 1910s. Following a 1912 lawsuit by New York State against Tilyou and other amusement owners for taking private ownership of Coney Island's beach, a judge ruled in 1913 that the beach actually belonged to the state. All obstructions on the beachfront, including a concrete walk within Steeplechase, were demolished in accordance with the ruling. The Riegelmann Boardwalk was opened on the waterfront in 1922. In conjunction with the boardwalk's opening, the city slightly relocated West 16th and West 19th Streets at Steeplechase Park's eastern and western borders, respectively, which resulted in a slight expansion to Steeplechase's area. The boardwalk's opening resulted in increases to real estate valuations at nearby areas, such as Steeplechase Park, though some lots were also taken from the park to make way for new streets leading to the boardwalk. As a result, a former Brooklyn engineer alleged that the Tilyous lost money from the relocation of West 16th and West 19th Streets. and a Noah's Ark style attraction. Thomas McGowan died unexpectedly in 1927 and was replaced by James J. Onorato. The following year, one of the pools was demolished and replaced with an attraction called Hey Day, while a gas powered Custer Cars attraction was installed on the boardwalk. Several accidents and fires continued to occur at Steeplechase. and left at least a thousand people homeless. However, Steeplechase Park and Luna Park were not as heavily damaged since the fire was mostly concentrated to the west. and three years later, a barge crashed into the Steeplechase Pier. In addition, patrons frequently received minor injuries such as friction burns, though some people were thrown or fell from rides, and one child died after falling off the Steeplechase Horses in 1935. The following year, a new brick concession structure was built on the site of the old concessions, and an Express Train ride was erected in front of the pavilion. Other rides were added at Steeplechase in 1941, including rocket cars, a Whip ride, and the Silver Streak. The draft during World War II resulted in a shortage of qualified staff, and Onorato temporarily closed the Pavilion of Fun in 1945 due to the staff shortage. Steeplechase's closest competitor, Luna Park, was heavily damaged by a pair of fires in 1944. Luna Park closed in 1946, leaving Steeplechase as the only major amusement park on Coney Island. Moreover, after Edward Tilyou died in 1944, control of the park was transferred to his siblings George Jr., Frank, Marie, and Eileen, who each owned a quarter share in the Steeplechase Corporation. The relationship between the siblings was fractious, and they often argued about Steeplechase's management. The ballroom was also split in half to create a TV studio in 1947. The same year, the Tilyou siblings discontinued the combination ticket and started offering a pass where patrons could go on any 15 rides for one dollar. In practice, not many people bought the 15 ride pass, since various special interest groups such as social, political, and religious organizations had designated days where they could visit Steeplechase Park for free. The Tilyous added extra rides for the 1948 season, including the Scrambler, the C Cruise, and several children's rides. Steeplechase Park continued its downward trajectory with the demolition of several rides and structures and the neglect of others. The skating rink, now used only for the Tilyous' private functions, was demolished in December 1951. The following year, several structures on West 19th Street were demolished, as was the little used Old Mill boat ride that ran under one of these structures; the site was filled by a parking lot in 1954. Other impediments included a 1953 flood and fire, which destroyed machinery; the death of the Tilyou siblings' mother in 1954, which caused further acrimony among the siblings; and the underpayment of employees, which was one of the main reasons Steeplechases' employees were mostly elderly citizens who could afford to take such a low wage. The park started becoming profitable again when Arthur Godfrey and His Friends started broadcasting from Steeplechase in 1955. a larger replacement opened the next year. George Tilyou Jr. died in 1958, and his sister Marie took over as Steeplechase Corporation president the next year, demoting James Onorato to general manager. Marie, who had long wanted to change Steeplechase's image against the wishes of her brothers, began adding rides for the 1959 and 1960 seasons, such as a Tilt a Whirl, a Round Up ride, and a Paratrooper ride. As early as 1937, he had published a report about the possible redevelopment of Coney Island. Moses, who was also a New York City housing commissioner, rezoned the area for high rise housing in the late 1940s. Subsequently, in 1953, Moses proposed that most of the peninsula be rezoned for various uses, claiming that it would be an "upgrade" over the various business and unrestricted zones that existed at the time. Steeplechase Park would be allowed to remain open, but much of the shorefront amusements and concessions would be replaced by residential developments. At the time, Coney Island was seeing fewer visitors year over year. Crime increases, insufficient parking facilities, bad weather, and the post World War II automotive boom were cited as contributing factors in the decrease of visitors to Coney Island. The start of the 1964 New York World's Fair, also in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, was another factor. Ironically, prior to the World's Fair, Steeplechase Park was seeing record high patronage; the highest single day visitor count, over 18,000 customers, was recorded in 1961. Nevertheless, it also faced problems of its own: a severe assault of an employee in 1961 forced the closure of the Insanitorium, while Marie Tilyou was opposed to her nephew Frank II's proposal to bring rides from the Century 21 Exposition to the park. Further, Steeplechase had been leasing one third of its land from the Huber family, which decided to sell that land in 1962. High crime was also rampant; for instance, a mass shooting nearby in 1962 resulted in three people being killed, and visitors were generally afraid of being attacked by residents of nearby public housing projects. By the early 1960s, the children of George C. Tilyou were themselves aging; his last surviving son, Frank, died in 1964. The shares of Steeplechase Park were now held by four women—Marie, Eileen, and the respective widows of Frank and George Jr.—all of whom had differing visions for the park. Though no official closure announcement was made, rumors of a sale started circulating in February 1965. Developer Fred Trump bought the property for $2.5 million Though the sale was opposed by the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce, it was consistent with the area's gradual conversion into a residential community. At the time of its closure, Steeplechase Park was Coney Island's longest lasting attraction; it had outlasted the original park's steeplechase attractions by more than a half century. <!