ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The carousel in St. Augustine is moving on. Family and friends of the carousel's late-owner took it apart Monday.
Ever since the news of its departure, people in St. Augustine have flocked to get one last ride on the carousel.
Monday, the owner's wife, Peggy Soules, spoke exclusively with First Coast News' Jessica Clark for an on-camera interview.
"It was built in 1927," Soules said as she watched the carousel come apart in St. Augustine.
"There are 850 light bulbs," she noted. "This was made for a traveling carnival at one time."
Peggy Soules' husband and sweetheart, Jim Soules, had owned and operated the carousel in St. Augustine for 25 years. He inherited it from his brother and kept it running to honor him. Jim died earlier in September after a long illness. His sister said he suffered from the effects of Agent Orange. He was a U.S. Navy Seal and served in Vietnam.
Peggy Soules is still emotional about losing her husband.
"It's really sad to see it come apart, but I know that's what he wanted," she said.
Peggy Soules said she is taking the carousel back to Port Charlotte in southwest Florida, where she and Jim have lived with their families for several years.
"Jim wanted me to bring it home, and I'm going to bring it home," she started to cry. "It's like having him there with me."
"I am going to have it refurbished," she said. "After that, I think I'm going to set it up in our area." She said it will eventually be open to the public.
Jim was friendly, encouraging and had a fun personality. People in St. Augustine loved him, treasured his carousel, and they stood in long lines over the weekend to get on it for one last spin.
"I know he would’ve been in such awe of everybody who was here," Peggy Soules smiled. "And I'm sure he would've been out there talking to everybody, shaking everybody's hand and they would've been friends before we left."
As the horses, light bulbs and decorative mirrors were pulled from the carousel, she said, "I don't think people understand the work that goes into assembling it, dismantling it, maintaining it. It's a work of love, that's all I can say. Jim loved his brother, and this is what he did for him. And now I'm going to do it for Jim ... to the best of my ability."
By late Monday afternoon, most of the carousel was gone from Davenport Park in St. Augustine.