Index to carillons and chimes by McShane

The McShane foundry has provided bells for various chimes throughout North America.  See the bottom of this page for contact information and additional historical notes.

The sites are listed in order by year of installation (unknown first).
Following the year is an indication of the founder's contribution to the instrument:

Finally, there is an indication of the type of instrument:
  trad*     - carillon with traditional keyboard now,
              but with other mechanism and/or chime size at the date cited
  non-trad* - carillon with non-traditional keyboard now,
              but with other mechanism and/or chime size at the date cited
  chime     - chime (any mechanism)
  [...]     - instrument is defunct; link is to "sites that are no more"
  (...)...  - instrument was replaced; link is to the same site

McShane, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

McShane's Bell Foundry (1856-?)
Henry McShane & Co. (?-1876-1887-?)
McShane Bell Foundry (?-1902-?)
McShane Bell Foundry Co. (?-1912-1920-?)
BALTIMORE - STJ               : USA - MD     ???? C  chime
   St.John's Episcopal Church--Huntingdon
CHATHAM                       : CANADA - ON  ???? C  chime
   First Presbyterian Church 
DELAWARE - STM                : USA - OH     ???? C  chime
   St.Mary's Church (RC)
DETROIT - STAN                : USA - MI     ???? C  chime
   Ste.Anne de Detroit (Catholic Church)
DETROIT - STS                 : USA - MI     ???? C  chime
   St.Stephen's (Polish) Catholic Church 
DETROIT - TE                  : USA - MI     ???? C  chime
   Trinity Episcopal Church 
ELIZABETH                     : USA - NJ     ???? C  chime
   St.Patrick's Roman Catholic Church 
GLEN MILLS                    : USA - PA     ???? C  chime
   Glen Mills Schools Library 
   (formerly Smith Memorial Chapel) 
GLOUCESTER CITY               : USA - NJ     ???? C  chime
   St.Mary's Catholic Church 
HARRISON                      : USA - NJ     ???? C  chime
   Holy Cross Catholic Church 
KEARNY                        : USA - NJ     ???? C  [chime]
   Holy Communion Episcopal Church
KNOXVILLE                     : USA - TN     ???? C  chime
   Second Presbyterian Church
MONTPELIER                    : USA - VT     ???? C  chime
   Trinity United Methodist Church 
NEW BEDFORD - STL             : USA - MA     ???? C  chime
   St.Lawrence Martyr RC Church 
NORWALK                       : USA - OH     ???? C  chime
   St.Paul's RC Church 
PITTSBURGH - STS              : USA - PA     ???? C  chime
   St.Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church
PORTSMOUTH                    : USA - NH     ???? C  chime
   (unknown) 
PROVIDENCE - STMAY            : USA - RI     ???? C  chime
   St.Mary's Catholic Church 
ROANOKE - G                   : USA - VA     ???? C  chime
   Greene Memorial Methodist Church 
SAINT CATHARINES              : CANADA - ON  ???? F  non-trad*
   St.George's Anglican Church 
SHENANDOAH                    : USA - PA     ???? C  chime
   St.George's Catholic Church (Lith.)
TAMAQUA                       : USA - PA     ???? F  chime
   Trinity United Church of Christ 
UTICA - STJ                   : USA - NY     ???? C  chime
   St.John's RC Church 
VICKSBURG                     : USA - MS     ???? C  chime
   St.Paul Catholic Church 
WILMINGTON -- FA              : USA - NC     ???? C  chime
   Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church 
   
GARDEN CITY                   : USA - NY     1876 C  chime
   Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation 
ORANGE - STJ                  : USA - NJ     1881 C  chime
   St.John the Evangelist Catholic Church 
RICHMOND - C                  : USA - VA     1882 C  chime
   Talbott Chime
   Centenary United Methodist Church 
WARREN - P                    : USA - PA     1882* C chime
   Park 
   * (made for St.Mary's Catholic Church, Buffalo, NY)
BALTIMORE - STV               : USA - MD     1883 C  chime
   St.Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
STILLWATER                    : USA - MN     1883 C  chime
   St.Michael's RC Church 
CORNWALL                      : CANADA - ON  1885 C  chime
   The Mountain Chime
   Trinity Anglican Church 
OMAHA - T                     : USA - NE     1885 C  chime
   Trinity Cathedral (Episcopal) 
SAINT JOHN - IC               : CANADA - NB  1885 C  chime
   Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 
COVINGTON - T                 : USA - KY     1888 C  chime
   Trinity Episcopal Church 
ANNISTON                      : USA - AL     1889 C  chime
   Church of St.Michael & All Angels (Episcopal)
DANBURY - STPE                : USA - CT     1889 C  chime
   St.Peter's Catholic Church 
BEAVER                        : USA - PA     1890 C  chime
   Trinity Episcopal Church 
   originally in Rochester, PA
EXETER                        : CANADA - ON  1890 C  chime
   Trivitt Memorial Church (Anglican) 
     and Precious Blood Mission (RC) 
WEST CHESTER                  : USA - PA     1890 C  [chime]
   Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 
KEY WEST                      : USA - FL     1891 C  chime
   St.Paul's Episcopal Church 
WAYNE                         : USA - PA     1891 C  chime
   St.Mary's Episcopal Church 
FREDERICK - E                 : USA - MD     1893 C  chime
   Trinity Chimes
   Trinity Chapel 
   Evangelical Reformed Church (UCC) 
OCEAN CITY - T                : USA - NJ     1893*C  chime
   Ocean City Tabernacle 
   * made for a different site
CHICAGO - STJCH               : USA - IL     1895 C  chime
   St.James Catholic Church 
KANSAS CITY - IC              : USA - MO     1895 C  chime
   Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 
     (Roman Catholic)
PORTLAND - STL                : USA - ME     1896 C  [chime]
   St.Lawrence Congregational Church 
   (formerly Union Congregational?) 
DES MOINES                    : USA - IA     1898 F  trad*
   Cathedral Church of St.Paul (Episcopal) 
CHAMBERSBURG                  : USA - PA     1899 C  chime
   First United Methodist Church 
     (was First Ev.United Brethren Church)
FARIBAULT - OMS               : USA - MN     1902 C  chime
   Bishop Whipple Memorial Chime
   Bishop Whipple Memorial Tower 
   Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour (Episcopal)
LOUISVILLE - WS               : USA - KY     1902 C  chime
   Parr Memorial Chimes 
   (in memory of Maria Marmaduke Parr)
   Walnut Street Baptist Church (SBC) 
ROCHESTER - STMI              : USA - NY     1903 C  chime
   St.Michael's Catholic Church 
BLOOMINGTON - 3               : USA - IN     1905 C  (chime)
   Student Building 
   Indiana University 
JANESVILLE                    : USA - WI     1907 C  chime
   First Congregational Church, UCC 
LOS ANGELES - STA             : USA - CA     1907 C  chime
   St.Agnes Catholic Church 
BALTIMORE - CC                : USA - MD     1908 C  chime
   New Refuge Deliverance Cathedral 
   (formerly Christ Episcopal Church) 
BRIDGETON                     : USA - NJ     1909 C  chime
   Central United Methodist Church 
FALL RIVER - CH               : USA - MA     1908 C  [chime]
   City Hall
GRAND RAPIDS - STA            : USA - MI     1909 C  chime
   Cathedral of St.Andrew (RC) 
PHILADELPHIA - STJL/1         : USA - PA     1909 C  chime
   Wanamaker Mausoleum 
   Church of the St.James-the-Less (Episcopal)
DECATUR                       : USA - IL     1910 C  chime
   The Conklin Memorial Chimes
   First United Methodist Church 
MCDONOGH                      : USA - MD     1910 C  (chime)
   Tagart Memorial Chapel 
   McDonogh School 
MIDDLETOWN --                 : USA - NY     1910 F  chime
   St.Joseph's Catholic Church 
SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS       : USA - IN     1910 C  chime
   Church of the Immaculate Conception 
   St.Mary-of-the-Woods College 
CHATTANOOGA                   : USA - TN     1911 C  chime
   St.Paul's Episcopal Church 
FORT WORTH - TS               : USA - TX     1911 C  chime
   Harrison Chimes
   First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) 
   (including Taylor Street Presb. Church) 
SYDNEY MINES                  : CANADA - NS  1911 C  chime
   St.Andrew's Presbyterian Church 
DENVER - ICC                  : USA - CO     1912 C  chime
   Immaculate Conception Cathedral (RC) 
NIAGARA FALLS - CC            : CANADA - ON  1912 C  chime
   Christ Church (Anglican) 
NIAGARA FALLS - Z             : USA - NY     1912 C  chime
   Zion Lutheran Church (ELCA)
PHILADELPHIA - CS             : USA - PA     1912 C  chime
   Cathedral Church of the Saviour 
WILMINGTON - W                : USA - DE     1912 F  chime
   Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)
DUBUQUE                       : USA - IA     1913 C  chime
   St.Luke's United Methodist Church 
FORT WASHINGTON               : USA - PA     1913 C  (chime)
   St.Thomas' Episcopal Church 
HAMILTON - STG                : CANADA - ON  1913 C  chime
   St.Giles United Church 
     (was St.Giles' Presbyterian Church) 
ROSEMONT                      : USA - PA     1913 F  chime
   Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal)
VAN WERT                      : USA - OH     1913 C  chime
   St.Mark's Lutheran Church (ELCA)
HELENA                        : USA - MT     1914 C  chime
   St.Helena's RC Cathedral 
MOUNDSVILLE                   : USA - WV     1914 C  chime
   Simpson United Methodist Church 
     (was First M.E. Church) 
COLUMBUS - OSU                : USA - OH     1915 F  chime
   Orton Hall 
   Ohio State University 
DE LAND                       : USA - FL     1915 C  chime
   The Eloise Chimes
   Hulley Tower 
   John B Stetson University 
FORT DODGE                    : USA - IA     1915 C  chime
   First United Methodist Church 
GLENDALE - CC                 : USA - OH     1915 C  chime
   Christ Church - Glendale (Episcopal)
MALDEN                        : USA - MA     1915 C  chime
   First Baptist Church of Malden (ABC)
SAN RAFAEL                    : USA - CA     1915 C  chime
   First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)
TALLAHASSEE                   : USA - FL     1915 F  chime
   Lewis Chime
   St.John's Episcopal Church 
HASTINGS                      : USA - NE     1916 C  chime
   First United Methodist Church 
SAINT JOHNS                   : USA - MI     1916 C  chime
   First Methodist Church 
SIOUX CITY - F                : USA - IA     1916 C  chime
   First United Methodist Church 
WALTHAM                       : USA - MA     1916 C  chime
   Beth Eden Baptist Church (ABC)
WEST NEWTON                   : USA - MA     1916 C  chime
   First Unitarian Church
WINCHESTER                    : USA - VA     1917 C  chime
   Grace Evang. Lutheran Church (ELCA)
BALA-CYNWYD - STM             : USA - PA     1918 C  chime
   St.Matthias Catholic Church 
ALLIANCE                      : USA - OH     1919 C  chime
   Christ United Methodist Church 
   (formerly First Methodist Church) 
KANSAS CITY - IB              : USA - MO     1919 C  chime
   Independence Boulevard Christian Church
     (Disciples of Christ) 
KEY WEST                      : USA - FL     1919 R  chime
   St.Paul's Episcopal Church 
UPPER MONTCLAIR - STJ         : USA - NJ     1919 C  chime
   St.James Episcopal Church 
HIGH POINT                    : USA - NC     1920 C  chime
   Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church
KANSAS CITY - V               : USA - MO     1920 C  chime
   Visitation of the Blessed Virgin RC Church
LANCASTER - G                 : USA - PA     1920 F  chime
   Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) 
OIL CITY                      : USA - PA     1920 C  chime
   Christ Church (Episcopal)
PHILADELPHIA - CS             : USA - PA     1920 R  chime
   Cathedral Church of the Saviour 
PITTSBURGH - H                : USA - PA     1920 C  [chime]
   Highland Presbyterian Church 
URBANA                        : USA - IL     1920 C  chime
   The Senior Memorial Chime
   Upper belfry 
   Altgeld Hall 
   University of Illinois 
BIRMINGHAM - HM               : USA - AL     1921 C  chime
   The McCoy Tower Bells
   Highlands United Methodist Church 
JOHNSTOWN                     : USA - PA     1921 C  chime
   First Lutheran Church (ELCA) 
NEW ORLEANS - HN              : USA - LA     1921 C  chime
   Holy Name of Jesus Church (RC)
SAINT LOUIS - HC              : USA - MO     1921 C  [chime]
   Holy Communion Episcopal Church
SALISBURY                     : USA - MD     1921 C  chime
   Trinity United Methodist Church 
SHREVEPORT                    : USA - LA     1921 C  chime
   First Baptist Church (SBC)
NORTH MANCHESTER              : USA - IN     1922 C  chime
   Manchester College 
OKLAHOMA CITY - FUMC          : USA - OK     1922 C  chime
   First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City 
BOSTON - AS                   : USA - MA     1923 C  chime
   All Saints Church (Episcopal)
LEHIGHTON                     : USA - PA     1923 C  chime
   Zion United Church of Christ (UCC)
     (was Zion Reformed Church) 
READING - W                   : USA - PA     1923 C  chime
   Wesley United Methodist Church 
     (was Windsor Street Methodist Church)
RED BANK                      : USA - NJ     1923 C  chime
   St.James' Catholic Church 
SAN ANSELMO - SFTS            : USA - CA     1923 C  chime
   San Francisco Theological Seminary
WATERLOO                      : USA - IA     1923 F  chime
   First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)
MEDFORD - STJ                 : USA - MA     1924 C  chime
   St.Joseph's RC Church 
NEWNAN                        : USA - GA     1924 C  chime
   Newnan Presbyterian Church 
OXFORD - 1                    : USA - OH     1924 F  chime
   Molyneaux-Western Bell Tower 
   Miami University 
BALTIMORE - ML                : USA - MD     1925 C  [chime]
   Martin Luther Ev.Luth. Church (ELCA)
CATASAUQUA - F                : USA - PA     1925 C  chime
   Catasauqua Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)
     (was First Presbyterian Church)
MONONGAHELA                   : USA - PA     1925 C  chime
   First United Methodist Church 
MUNCIE - FP                   : USA - IN     1925 C  [chime]
   First United Presbyterian Church 
FALKIRK                       : SCOTLAND-ST  1926 C  chime
   "Auld Kirk" Presbyterian Church 
LONGVIEW                      : USA - WA     1926 C  chime
   Longview Community Church 
PHILADELPHIA - W              : USA - PA     1926 C  chime
   Wynnefield Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) 
WARREN - FM                   : USA - PA     1926 C  chime
   First United Methodist Church 
CHEYENNE                      : USA - WY     1927 C  chime
   St.Mark's Episcopal Church 
EMMAUS                        : USA - PA     1927 C  chime
   St.John's United Church of Christ (UCC)
     (was St.John's Reformed Church) 
PLATTSBURGH - STJ             : USA - NY     1927 C  chime
   St.John the Baptist RC Church
WEST NEW YORK                 : USA - NJ     1927 C  chime
   St.Joseph of the Palisades RC Church
COLUMBIA                      : USA - PA     1928 C  chime
   St.John's Evang. Lutheran Church (ELCA)
BEAVER FALLS                  : USA - PA     1929 C  chime
   McCartney Library 
   Geneva College 
CARLISLE                      : USA - PA     1930 C  chime
   First United Church of Christ (UCC)
DELAWARE - OW                 : USA - OH     1930 C  chime
   Stuyvesant Hall 
   Ohio Wesleyan University 
WILKINSBURG - STJ             : USA - PA     1930 C  chime
   St.James Catholic Church 
ATLANTA - FP                  : USA - GA     1931 F  non-trad*
   Devereaux McClatchey Carillon
   First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta 
BALTIMORE - OS                : USA - MD     1934 C  chime
   Our Saviour Lutheran Church (LCMS)
EAU CLAIRE - G                : USA - WI     1936 C  chime
   Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) 
BALTIMORE - CL                : USA - MD     1958 C  chime
   Christ Lutheran Church (ELCA)

Contact:

The McShane Bell Foundry is the last survivor of the seven historic American bellfoundries known to have made chimes.  The company can be contacted as follows:
    McShane Bell Foundry
    400 Arundel Corporation Road
    Building C
    Glen Burnie, MD 21060-6364
    
    Tel:   800-828-8397
           410-636-4390
    Fax:   410-636-8239
    Email: mcshanebell@mcshanebell.com
    Web:   www.mcshanebell.com
Glen Burnie is a suburb of the city of Baltimore, where this foundry was begun in 1856 by Henry McShane, who had emigrated from Dundalk, Ireland, in 1847.  The company still owns the old foundry premises in the city, but uses them only rarely.

Historical Note:  At one time, the McShane foundry also produced piping, plumbing fixtures, etc.  After part of the foundry burned in 1893, the non-bell work was moved to a newly-constructed facility in a previously undeveloped area on the shores of the nearby Patapsco River.  When the railroad followed the foundry to the area in 1895, it needed a name for the railroad stop.  William James McShane, vice-president of the foundry, gave it the name Dundalk, after his father's birthplace.  Thus began the modern town of Dundalk.  However, the McShanes did not stay there long.  In 1900, the pipe foundry was sold to the Central Foundry; presumably the McShanes focused on bell making after that.

A bit of history related to the McShane foundry in Dundalk (payment required for access).

Publications:

In 1928, McShane published a high-quality booklet about chimes.  A brief introduction included illustrations of two types of bell frame, an electric keyboard, and a "hand console with electric attachment".  The latter incorporated electric solenoids into a traditional chimestand, thus providing both types of action very efficiently.  The introduction was followed by 73 pages, each describing one chime with the following details:

For 43 of those chimes, there was a custom inscription for each bell of the chime; for most of the remainder, there was at least a custom inscription on the tenor bell.

Although dates of installation are not explicitly stated, they can in most cases be deduced from the custom inscriptions or from the quoted letters.  It then becomes evident that the chimes are listed in order from newest to oldest, and the remaining dates can be interpolated.  Comparison of these dates with information from other sources shows that this booklet describes every chime which McShane had installed from late 1908 up to 1928.  It's not clear why McShane did not list any of the 30 to 50 chimes which the foundry produced in the three decades prior to 1909.  Perhaps they implemented a significant improvement in tone quality in 1908-9 (though the quality of their castings was always excellent).  It might have been that their records of older chimes were less complete.  Or it might simply have been that a span of 20 years produced a nicely sized booklet.  Whatever the reason, it seems highly probable that the 29 McShane chimes for which year of installation is presently unknown were made either before 1909 or after 1928.

The relationship between pattern weight and note (or "tone") for the 73 chimes produced between 1909 and 1928 was as follows:
Weight
(in pounds)
Tone Number
of chimes
Number
of bells
5,600 B 1 15
4,200 C 2 10 or 11
3,500 D flat 5 12 to 15
3,000 D 26 10 to 16
2,500 E flat 13 10 to 14
2,200
2,000
E 21
2
11
10 or 11
1,650 F 3 10

Since McShane's larger chimes typically had more added semitones (see following table), these figures indicate that the foundry must have understood their own limitations in producing treble bells to accurate pitch.  Probably the smallest bell in any of these chimes would have been a G of about 150 pounds.
Number of bells Number of added semitones
10 1 or 2
11 1 or 2
13 2 or 3
15 4 or 5

(This table is incomplete because we don't have full specifications for most of the McShane chimes.)


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This index page was built from the database on 26-Sep-01 and last updated on 26-Mar-08.

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