Restoration of bells and bell ringing equipment

The bells at Christ Church Greenwich had stopped ringing for three years.

The Episcopal church’s largest bell, which dates to 1895, was repaired and replaced in time for their centennial of the consecration of the church building. The bell was blessed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who visited the church for a special program.

Verdin used a crane to remove the large tolling bell, which weighs 2,000 pounds, and a carillon of 10 smaller bells, which play music, from the church’s bell tower. They were brought to Cincinnati, where the 175-year-old Verdin Co. restored, cleaned and tuned the bells. Verdin also repaired the manual keyboard that plays the bells.

The bells were originally cast by the Meneely Bell Foundry in Troy, N.Y., with which Verdin partnered 75 years ago, before it closed in 1952.

Verdin also installed four new bells to join the chime, and the church is raising money so the bells could eventually be operated both manually and automatically.

Christ Church was established in 1749 and the church building, parish house and rectory were built in 1910.

“The bells are kind of an audible sign of the restoration that we really need to do, and are doing, for our historic buildings,” said Rev. James Lemler. “Being able to do this will just be wonderful because it will be for our worship, but it’s really a (ringing) for this whole community.”