A LONG HISTORY OF THE CARILLON

Beginnings

Inspired by the founder of the Chapel, the Rev. W. Herbert Burk, the Washington Memorial National Carillon evolved from the “Star Spangled Banner National Peace Chime”, one bell for each of the thirteen colonies and one additional bell, the National Birthday Bell. The National Birthday Bell bears a star for, and the name of, every state not included in the colonies. Cast by the Meneely & Company of Watervliet (West Troy), New York, the nation’s premier bell foundry, these fourteen bells ranged in weight from 3,500 pounds to 225 pounds. The bells and keyboard were housed in a temporary wooden structure located on the northwest corner of the Chapel Cloisters. The chime was dedicated on July 4, 1926 in commemoration of 150 years of American independence.

The Dedication Ceremony, July 4, 1926. Note Rev. Burk in the foreground. The sign on the side of the structure reads “H. M. Aldefer, Constructor Builder”

The chime had been intended as the initial step in securing enough bells for a large National Carillon. After the First World War, many large carillons (24 or more bells) and chimes (23 or fewer bells) were built around the country. Many were titled Peace Carillons or Peace Chimes.

At the 1926 dedication ceremony, the first piece played on the chime was The Star Spangled Banner. Click on the icon below to hear this piece played on the 1926 Meneely bells.

1926 Bells Star Spangled Banner

MORE BELLS

A centrally located national carillon/tower with a bell representing each state was always in Dr. Burk’s grand plan for the complex. He was no stranger to bells, particularly the American Chime (a set of 8 to 22 large bells, mostly found in churches and universities beginning in the 1870’s). Early in his career, Dr. Burk served near St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Gloucester City, New Jersey and would have undoubtedly heard the bells of this chime every Sunday. Plus, many of the Episcopal churches on the Philadelphia Main Line already had chimes – Good Samaritan, Paoli; St. Mary’s, Wayne; Good Shepherd, Rosemont; Calvary Church, Conshohocken; and Redeemer, Bryn Mawr. 

To the first 14 bells of the Star Spangled National Peace Chime, several additional bells were added in 1928 and 1930, 9 bells more in 1931, and one in 1938. And like the first 14 bells, Meneely & Company of Watervliet (West Troy), New York cast the additions. The original bells were designated for the American colonies, and each of the additional bells was given for a particular state, with funding coming from that particular state. Size was determined by the state’s population – the larger the population, the greater the funding base. Having the largest population at that time, Illinois got the largest bell (biggest, heaviest and cost the most).

c. 1930  With no place to fit into the framework of the 1926 tower, the Illinois Bell was mounted on the outside right of the structure. 

c. 1931  As more bells were added to the chime, the wood frame was replaced by steel I-beams and three levels were needed to hold the additional bells. The roof and playing cabin below remained the same. The Pennsylvania Bell is at the center of the second level. One more bell was added in 1938, bringing the total to 28 Meneely bells. The structure remained until 1953, when the new carillon tower was built, and these bells would become be the lower portion of the present carillon.

Simple melodies with limited harmony were played on these stationary bells. The player used a keyboard of large lever keys to pull the individual bell’s clapper to the inside of the bell, causing the bell to sound. This gave the player control over the dynamics and phrasing. 

BUILDING THE CARILLON TOWER

Dr. Hart, second Rector of Washington Memorial Chapel, wanted to complete the complex according to Dr. Burk's original plans, and by 1941 he was collecting funds for a new bell tower. The tower would house the National Peace Chime, at that time located in a small tower on the west side of the Chapel. Gradually other bells had been funded, and by the time Dr. Hart took over at the Chapel there were 28 bells. Dr. Hart wanted to move the bells into a centrally located stone tower, and he began writing letters to individuals and organizations describing the bell tower as "a memorial to a Free American People by a Free American People."

A short stone tower located at the end of the Porch of the Allies was in the original designs of the Chapel’s architect, Milton Bennett Medary, Jr. (1874-1929).

Milton Medary’s original tower design c. 1908

Note the similarities between Milton Medary’s original design (1908) and the tower as it was finally built. The current tower’s basic shape, corner stairway, turret and parapet are evident in his early rendering of the Chapel complex and would be elements of the grand 110 ft. tall carillon tower.

Mrs. William Stark Tompkins, State Regent of the Pennsylvania Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, established the Washington Memorial Committee in 1941 to raise funds and build the new tower and complete the carillon. The Philadelphia architectural firm of Zantzinger & Borie, formerly Zantzinger, Borie & Medary (Medary having died in 1929), designed and oversaw the construction. Originally named the “Robert Morris Thanksgiving Tower”, the tower’s location was changed and construction began in 1941, but had to be suspended for the duration of World War II.

Early 1952

The tower and carillon were dedicated on April 18, 1953. Dr. Hart can be seen in the center of the photo below. The ceremony was followed by the Dedicatory Recital performed by our first Chapel Carillonneur, Frank Péchin Law. The first musical composition played on the carillon was our National Anthem. The new tower’s formal name is “Washington Memorial National Bell Tower”.

Dedication Ceremony, April 18,1953             

ART OF THE CARILLON TOWER

The Philadelphia firm of Zantzinger & Borie, designers of the carillon tower, had assembled a group of the best artists, sculptors, stained glass craftsmen and iron workers of the day. The firm was no stranger to carillon towers, having designed the 205 ft. tall (twice that of the Chapel’s tower) Bok Singing Tower in Lake Wales, Florida, built in 1929. Under Milton Bennett Medary, Jr.’s (designer of the Chapel) direction, this Gothic Revival and Art Deco carillon tower was heavily adorned with sculptures, stained glass and decorative metal work depicting the trees, flowers and birds of the Mountain Lake Sanctuary.

Bok Singing Tower, Lake Wales, Florida  

The carillon tower at Washington Memorial Chapel was given a patriotic and Valley Forge theme. A statue of General George Washington by C. Paul Jennewein (1890-1978), German-born sculptor, is featured prominently on the southwest corner of the tower overlooking the Grand Parade. It was not yet in place for the dedication ceremonies in April of 1953.

Gen. Washington overlooking the Grand Parade.

The three belfry eagles were given in honor of Gen. and Mrs. Douglas MacArthur.

Within the tower’s Memorial Room, a frieze of encampment soldiers, carvings of birds and other animals native to Pennsylvania line all four walls. These and various plaques and ornaments inside and out were probably also by Jennewein, as well as the three Eagles on the belfry corners. 

To ensure that the Tower Room’s five stained glass windows would be in the same style as the Chapel’s windows, Nicola D’Ascenzo (1871-1954) and his glass studio were again chosen to design and craft them.

 Washington at Prayer Window

Tower Front Gate, Yellin Studio

Also continuing with the Chapel design, Samuel Yellin’s (1884-1940) metal work studio produced the tower’s gates.