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.
There is more than one way to preserve the sound of historic church bells. These in a decorative clock tower to note a city Anniversary is one we love at The Verdin Company.
When looking at electronic carillon bells this headline is quite an endorsement for the Adagio II by The Verdin Company!
To quote the linked article by the Messenger Post Media and USA-Today:
“The sky’s the limit to melodies that can ring from the historic Woodlawn Chapel in the city of Canandaigua.
…the historic Woodlawn Chapel in the City of Canandaigua … received the gift of a Verdin Carillon. A sophisticated digital recording technology, the carillon captures the sounds of cast bronze bells to create the Westminster chime and hour strike, sound of liturgical bells, seasonal music favorites and more to the tune of some 800 different selections — from Beethoven to Sondheim, taps to “Amazing Grace.”
‘It’s pretty remarkable,’ said Woodlawn Cemetery Superintendent Doug Stone. He and several members of the Canandaigua Cemetery Association Board of Trustees at the chapel last week marveled at what the electronic carillon can do.
Recently installed, the Verdin Adagio II given through an anonymous donation comes with a catalog of hundreds of songs — everything from Broadway hits to classical hymns, seasonal music, military marches and more that can fit any occasion or season. ”
Not convinced yet? Read the article to hear the bells play and listen to a discussion of the play list. The promise of every Verdin or Schulmerich digital carillon is the sound of real cast bronze bells in several voices. They are also easy to program. But, if you need help we have support by phone from 8-5 Eastern. For technical support on Verdin products call 800-883-7346 and for Schulmerich G5 carillons 844-247-5775.
Verdin thanks the generous donor and the cemetery for trust in us to restore the voice of your chapel!
Verdin Adagio II Electronic Carillon Bells are remarkable!
A bronze bell made in the iconic shape of HERSHEY’s KISSES? Yes!
The Verdin Company designed, cast and installed this beauty for Hershey’s Chocolatetown, an all new region at Hersheypark, where fun meets chocolate. It opened the summer of 2020 in, where else? Hershey, PA.
We are honored to do such work and we are are proud to share these photos! Why? Because, they show the artistry, craftsmanship, and innovation, that The Verdin Company puts into each and every project we create.
We love what we do!
The KISSES Bell made by The Verdin Company at its final home!
Casting the KISSES Bell at The Verdin Company Factory.
Casting the KISSES Bell.
Breakout of the KISSES Bell bell from the mold. Looks like it might be chocolate!
The KISSES Bell prior to final polish.
Final polish of the KISSES Bell begins…
…and continues until…
the KISSES Bell polish is complete!
The completely polished KISSES Bell…
…with it’s plume and hanger! Ready to ship.
The KISSES Bell at Home.
View more Bronze Bell work by The Verdin Company here and in this images gallery.
This holiday season the Village of Pinehurst, NC issued a limited edition ornament which features their 2002 installed Verdin™ #postclock enhancing the Village Green.
The Verdin Company™ thanks the Village of Pinehurst for the honor of being a part of the unique identity of your historic village.
The Verdin Company to cast The Spirit of Minnesota Tribute Bell
255-pound bronze bell will honor past, present and future veterans
(CINCINNATI – Nov. 19, 2018) – The Verdin Company will stoke its furnace to 2,200 degrees on Nov. 27 to cast a 255-pound bronze bell as part of a special tribute to veterans. The Verdin Company is casting The Spirit of Minnesota Tribute Bell at its factory in Cincinnati (3900 Kellogg Avenue).
As Minnesota’s third-largest private employer and a Minnesota Yellow Ribbon Company, Wells Fargo is sponsoring the creation of The Spirit of Minnesota Tribute Bell. This sustainable mobile platform will allow Minnesotans a distinctive way to honor past veterans, salute the present and inspire future veterans.
The first Wells Fargo-sponsored veteran tribute bell was cast by Verdin in 2017 at the Iowa State Fair. The Spirit of Iowa Tribute Bell continues to travel across Iowa creating outreach and awareness opportunities for veterans, active service members and military families. The bell concept has now moved north to Minnesota.
Minnesotans were encouraged to visit their nearest Wells Fargo branch the week prior to Veterans Day to donate military memorabilia (such as military dog tags, medals or coins) to be melted down as part of The Spirit of Minnesota Tribute Bell.
The casting of the Minnesota bell begins at 10 a.m. on Nov. 27 with an opening ceremony and presentation of military memorabilia collected at Wells Fargo branches in Minnesota. The Verdin Company will melt these metal pieces down so they can forever be enshrined in the bell with the Minnesota spirit. The casting of the bell will follow at 4 p.m.
Because the bell needs time to cool, the bell breakout ceremony will be at 11 a.m. on Nov. 28. Local veterans and Wells Fargo team members will take turns using a large sledgehammer to break the mold to expose the bronze bell.
The Verdin foundry crew will then get to work with grinding, polishing and painting the bell royal blue, a color Minnesotans voted for on the bell’s Facebook page (@SpiritMNBell).
The Spirit of Minnesota Tribute Bell will mount on a small trailer so it can travel across the state of Minnesota for years to come, creating outreach and awareness opportunities for veterans, active service members and military families.
“It’s also an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to service members and veterans in honor of their selfless service to our nation,” said Jeff Chavannes, military community programs manager for Wells Fargo. “I’m proud of Wells Fargo’s continued investment in veterans’ initiatives across the company since 2012. Wells Fargo has contributed more than $130 million to military and veteran-related nonprofits in support of housing, career transition, and financial education.”
The Verdin Company will live-stream the making of this bell here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Verdin1842/featured
The Spirit of Minnesota Tribute Bell live stream timeline:
About The Verdin Company
The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, was founded in 1842 and is one of the oldest family-owned companies in America, spanning six generations. The Verdin family is committed to helping the military and their families by creating special tributes for various communities around the country.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 8,050 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 38 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.
While bells will last for decades, the bolts, hardware, clappers, as well as the supporting structure and tower itself, are subject to weather, temperature extremes, and normal wear and tear.
Verdin’s “Are the bells in your tower safe?” guide provides a checklist of important items that should be checked every year. Download this guide now to help ensure the safety of your bells. Taking care of your bells also ensures your bells are safe and will ring joyfully for years to come.
Let us know if you would like more information or would like us to help you evaluate the safety of your bells. Contact us with any questions you may have about bell safety. Contact Verdin to discuss your bell needs.
The four-faced, 18-foot tall post clock was installed in Barrie, Ontario, Canada to honor Canada’s 150th birthday and the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International’s 100th anniversary. The clock has become Barrie’s newest landmark and completes a revamped waterfront that includes a new footbridge, separate bike path and extended boardwalk.
“We are thrilled with the public support of this initiative,” project co-chairperson Arlette Utton said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the citizens of Barrie to participate in this community project and leave their mark.”
At the base of the post clock are more than 1,000 personalized granite bricks that were sold to fund the cost of the entire waterfront project.
Verdin is a licensed vendor of Rotary post clocks and tower clocks.
On October 30, 1895, the largest bell in America was cast. The clapper alone weighs 640 pounds. The weight of the bell itself is 27,390 pounds; the weight of the mountings takes the total weight to 35,000 pounds. The bell hangs in the tower of St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and when installed was the largest swinging church bell in the world.
BIG JOE has been tolling the hours and calling parishioners to St. Francis de Sales in Cincinnati, Ohio for nearly 120 years. The largest swinging bell ever cast in the United States, BIG JOE occupies an entire floor of the Church’s 230-foot stone steeple. BIG JOE is named after Joseph T. Buddeke, a St. Francis de Sales parishioner who was the largest donor towards its casting and installation. The cost of the project was between $12,000 and $15,000 (a very large sum in 1895). BIG JOE was intended to be equal in size and a replication of BIG BEN in London. The only difference between the two bells is that BIG BEN never did swing.
The awesome task of casting BIG JOE was bestowed upon the E.W. VanDuzen Company, a well-known foundry on Second Street at Broadway in Cincinnati. On October 30, 1895, the largest church bell in America was cast. It took 41 minutes to pour the metal. The bell measures seven feet from rim to crown, with a diameter of nine feet at the base. It weighs an enormous 35,000 pounds. The clapper alone weighs 640 pounds. When completed, it required 14 horses to haul BIG JOE up Gilbert Avenue to St. Francis De Sales Church.
From there, the story of BIG JOE remains somewhat of a mystery. Legend has it that BIG JOE was rung for the first time in early January, 1896. People say its E-flat peal could be heard for a 15-mile radius. It rattled nearby buildings, shattering windows in the neighborhood. Alvin Harlow, a Cincinnati historian, said: “It was installed, it swung, and all of Walnut Hills nearly jumped out of its collective skin. The earth trembled, windows nearby broke from the concussion, and tiny bits of cement were seen falling from between the stones of the church tower.”
After just one ringing, the story goes, it was decided that BIG JOE must never swing again, so the Church immobilized the bell. Now, a Verdin foot hammer strikes the edge of the bell, just as it has for the past century. Albeit more quietly, BIG JOE still does his job. At 6:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 6:00 p.m., BIG JOE rings The Angelus, the Westminster chimes and hour strikes, and funeral tolls. Four smaller bells are mounted on the floor above and join in on the ringing. The Verdin Company has provided the service and maintenance for BIG JOE and the peal of bells at St. Francis de Sales for decades.
Verdin signature and custom course clocks have been featured at some of the most recognized golf courses and country clubs in the U.S.
Learn more about one of our golf course clocks at Old York Road Country Club and how they were able to create a successful campaign that raised the funds to install a championship golf clock for their Centennial.
