Washington Memorial National Carillon National Patriots Bell Tower
*Location:
Washington Memorial Chapel (Episcopal)
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Port Kennedy Road (PA Highway 23)
near Quarry Road
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, USA
LL: N 40.10456, W 75.43759
*Player:
Doug Gefvert (C) 431 Jean Drive King of Prussia, PA 19406-3908 H: (610)265-1462 W: (610)265-5211 E: dgefvert@verizon.net*Past Carillonneurs:
1953-85: Frank Pechin Law (d.1985) 1985-99: Frank Della Penna
*Contact:
Washington Memorial Chapel P.O. Box 98 Valley Forge, PA 19481-0098 T: (610)783-0120 F: (610)783-0330 E: wmcdefendersgate@aol.com
*Schedule:
Before and after 1115 Sunday services, before National Society DAR State Services, and for special events; guest recitals Wed. 1930 Jul-Aug. Tower open daily 10-5, Memorial Day to Labor Day; admission fee.
The latest summer schedule of recitals and recitalists
*Remarks:
Bells installed incrementally over many years. Original instrument reinstalled in present tower in 1953; A.Bigelow built new keyboard. 6 basses below cabin; all bells hung on timber.
*Technical data:
Traditional carillon of 58 bells
Pitch of heaviest bell is A# in the bass octave
Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
Keyboard range: A#G / A#A
There are no missing bass semitones
There is a non-identical practice console
The instrument was enlarged in 1963
with 2 bells made by Paccard
Prior history:
In 1953, the instrument was enlarged to 56 bells
by Paccard
(28 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
In 1931, the instrument was enlarged to 37 bells
by Meneely/Wvlt
(14 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
In 1926, the instrument was begun with 14 bells
by Meneely/Wvlt
(14 bells remain from that work.)
Year of latest technical information source is 1991
*Links:
A photo of the building from the Valley Forge Historic Park.
Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the
Meneely (Watervliet) bellfoundry.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the
Meneely (Watervliet) bellfoundry.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry,
in this region
and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry,
in this region
and in the world.
Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by weight.
Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American concert class carillons by age.
Index to all traditional carillons in PA.
Index to all tower bell instruments in PA.
*Status:
This page was built from the database on 16-Aug-07 based on textual data last updated on 2007/06/30 and on technical data last updated on 1992/12/31
Explanations of page format and keyboard range are available.
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