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[Back to index of January 2008 articles] Epiphany Bells: Ringing Out the Good News By Tripp Jones The bells in the tower of Epiphany, D.C., have been ringing out the good news to the people of downtown Washington for the past 85 years. The official dedication of the bells took place on Nov. 3, 1922, with a large congregation present. The Bishop of Washington, the Rt. Rev. Alfred Harding, offered the dedicatory sentences. The first official usage of the bells came in August 1923, when they tolled for the death of President Warren G. Harding. Beginning with Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration in 1925, the bells have rung for every presidential inauguration to date. Today, the bells ring on a regular basis, chiming the quarter hour as well as playing hymns on Sunday mornings and weekdays at noon. Despite the hustle and bustle of the city, many people in downtown Washington notice the bells as they scurry about their business. When new parishioners are asked how they “found” Epiphany, a frequent answer is “I heard the bells.” What is the story of these wonderful bells and how did they come to find themselves in Epiphany’s tower? The first tower of the church, added in 1857, contained a single bell. During the Civil War, it was removed and melted down for its metal. The tower remained without a bell until 1922, when the original tower was replaced with the current one. The new tower was built as a memorial to Epiphany’s seventh rector, the Rev. Randolph Harrison McKim, who served for 32 years. In addition to the tower itself, a set of bells was placed within as a tribute to McKim. The bells were a gift of sisters Isabel Freeman and Margaret Freeman Buckingham, long-time parishioners and benefactors of Epiphany. Epiphany’s set of bells is referred to as a chime. There are three designations of bell groupings, mostly having to do with the number of bells. A peal of bells is generally comprised of two to eight bells with the pealing sound being derived from an ever-changing pattern as the bells ring together or singularly. A chime of bells contains from nine to 22 bells, usually arranged in a diatonic scale, similar to the black and white keys on a piano. Epiphany’s chime contains 15 bells. That number was determined so that tunes with a wide range such as “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Silent Night” could be played. A set of 23 or more bells is referred to as acarillon and is tuned to a chromatic scale. For example, the Taft Memorial Carillon on the Capitol Grounds has 27 bells. The Netherlands Carillon at Arlington National Cemetery has 50 bells. The Kibbey Carillon at Washington National Cathedral has 53 bells. The chime of bells in Epiphany’s tower was made by Meneely & Company of Watervliet, New York. The bells were cast in the traditional method which involves pouring molten bellmetal (a bronze alloy consisting of 78 percent copper and 22 percent tin) into a specially crafted mould. The Meneely Bell Foundry was one of the finest bell makers in America at the time. The company made about 65,000 bells over a 126-year period before finally closing in 1952. The smallest of the 15 bells in Epiphany’s tower weighs 225 pounds and the largest, 4,300 pounds. The largest bell is the only one with an inscription. It reads, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men.” The next time you are in downtown Washington, listen for Epiphany’s bells and rejoice in the good news that they are there to proclaim. Tripp Jones is the parish archivist at Epiphany, D.C. [Back to index of January 2008 articles]
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