Bell and Carillon Projects
The year 2021 brought some pretty unforgettable bell and carillon projects for The Verdin Company. These are just a few. The five customers featured recently held dedications for important restorations and new bell ringing equipment projects and/or installations.
Glockenspiel
To start, the City of Regina, Saskatoon celebrated the restoration and re-installation of the historic glockenspiel in Victoria Park October 19th. The glockenspiel honors the accomplishments of the German community. Originally installed in 1980 it was then put into storage in 2010. Verdin installed the renovation glockenspiel late in 2020. Listen to this unique instrument play at the beginning of this story by CTVNews, Canada. This story by the Leader Post includes a test of the bells.
Bell Carillon Restoration
Second, First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, NE dedicated its restored 57 bell carillon on November 12th. The Church also held a concert to celebrate as reported in this article by the Journal Star. This unusually designed carillon features several of the bells on the façade of the tower. Enjoy a peek of this tower in the pictures above!
Bell Carillon Restoration & Tower
Third, First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, TX dedicated a 30 foot tower with 51 bronze carillon bells. Originally established in 1976, the tower and other equipment were then taken down. Wear and tear took their toll due to the corrosive nature of the weather next to salt water. You can see the original bells and tower in this article by the Caller Times. According to our records, the church first consulted The Verdin Company in 2002 about the condition of the carillon. Many decades of donations from the congregation and community lead to the dedication of the tower this past fall. Check out this article by kiiitv for a video of the new tower and restored bells coming to Ocean Drive.
Historic Bell
Fourth, Bell Tower Green Park held a dedication and is now open to the public in Salisbury, NC. The bell tower was left standing in 1971 when the 1892 built First Presbyterian Church was razed. Restoration of this historic structure began in in 2017. Bell ringing equipment provided by The Verdin Company simplifies the process of sounding the historic bell. The creation and update of the park took some time and is long anticipated by the community. Check out the highly praised Bell Tower Green Park at their website.
Veterans’ Bell
Last, and not least, in the City of Ridgeland, MS Veterans Memory Park is now open after a dedication ceremony. A new bell rings on grounds of City Hall as of Veterans Day. The bell sits on a tower by the Walk of Hero’s that honors the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. All these features create a beautiful sight and memorial for our veterans. This story by WJTV News shows the beautiful scenery and recently dedicated, 145 pound bell.
The Verdin Company is a proud partner for every one of these bell and carillon projects. Also, we are grateful for being able to do meaningful bell work all across North America. Lastly, Thank you for the opportunity to be in the heart of each community.
