detected at its initial stages. Performing routine
maintenance checks every year prevents these safety
hazards and keeps a congregation’s bell ringing.
According to Jim Verdin, president of the Verdin
Company, which has been producing, servicing, and
restoring bells, clocks, and carillons since 1842,
congregations should have at least one maintenance
staff member educated on bell construction and what to
look for during annual inspections.
Even with routine maintenance, most bells across the
country that are close to or over 100 years old need
repairs. Depending upon the number of bells and
the amount of damage found during an initial survey,
Verdin estimates that bell repairs and restoration can
take 60 to 120 days. This does not include any repairs
that might have to be made to the bell tower, which
may also be deteriorating or have been damaged by
an unsecured bell. The restoration of a bell tower is a
separate project that should be headed by an architeture
and/or engineering firm familiar with the challenges
posed by historic structures.
Congregations are faced with several choices when
determining a restoration plan for their bells and
hardware. Many congregations prefer to restore their
historic bells and supporting components while also
installing a carillon, a musical instrument consisting of
a set of fixed bells rung by hammers that are controlled
from a small computer. Some bell towers may not be
structurally sound enough to handle the swing of a bell.
In cases like these the bell will be immobilized and a
stationary bell ringer will be installed. Bell restoration
companies like the Verdin Company give congregations
the option to add bells to their existing stock or re-tune
their bell during the restoration process. Once the
repairs have been made the bell will typically last for
another 50 to 100 years, depending on the continued
maintenance plan of each congregation.
Though the ringing of bells might be taken for granted,
the moment the bells become silent the community
notices. Bell restoration can be a costly process but
one that both a congregation and its surrounding
neighborhood recognize is well worth the time and
money. Verdin explains, “Unlike general maintenance,
like putting in pavement for a parking lot or
landscaping, for example, this is something everyone is
excited about. People want to make something that will
last for the next 100 years.”
Sacred Places • Fall 2009 • 18