*Location:

   First [English] Lutheran Church (ELCA)
   West 1st & North Wilkinson Streets
   Dayton, Ohio, USA
   LL: N 39.76188, W 84.19509

   Main Street, between 4th & 5th Streets

Site locator map

*Player:

   (unknown)

*Contact:

   First Lutheran Church
   138 West First Street
   Dayton, OH  45402-1101
   T: 937-222-7848   F: 937-222-7888
   E: felcd@earthlink.net

*Schedule:

   Rung before 10am service, and for
   weddings, funerals & special events.
   Will be played for 100th anniversary of
   the first service in the building
   (10 Sep 06) and for the 100th Anniver-
   sary of the Dedication of the Church
   (2 Dec 07).

*Remarks:

   Original bells from Niles Works,
   Cincinnati, dated 1868 (one mid), 1869
   (3 basses and one mid) or undated (mid
   and 2 trebles), with added semitone
   of flat 7th plus anonymous treble
   (probably a Vanduzen recasting of a Niles
   bell); Vanduzen added treble and sharp
   4th, with chimestand which remains
   in tower, disconnected.  Original chime
   may have been 10 bells, including an
   older single bell; if so, one of the
   1907 Vanduzen bells must be a
   recasting of it.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard chime of 11 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D  in the middle octave
   Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
   Keyboard range:     D E   /    NONE  
   There are two added semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 1907
     with bells made by Vanduzen    
   Prior history:
     In 1869, the instrument was begun with  9 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       Keyboard range was:     D D   /    NONE  
       There was one added semitone
   Auxiliary mechanisms: W3nC  
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                  5 meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:   19 meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells:  21 meters above ground
     Belfry openness:  60%
   Year of latest technical information source is 1996

A photo of the 1907 Vanduzen chimestand shows typical hold-down swivels, one between the natural 4th and sharp 4th, the other between the flat 7th and natural 7th.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Hanks/Niles bellfoundry.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Vanduzen bellfoundry.

Ranking among all North American chimes by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American chimes by weight (pitch).
Ranking among all North American chimes by year of completion.

Why this chime was a milestone in North American chime history (1869).

Index to all tower bell instruments in OH.

   This page was built from the database on  4-Nov-23
   based on textual data last updated on 2007/08/01
   and on technical data last updated on 2006/05/06