The Joseph Dill Baker Memorial Carillon

*Location:

   Baker Park
   West Second and Bentz Streets
   Frederick, Maryland, USA
   LL: N 39.41578, W 77.41614

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   John A. Widmann,   (C)
     City Carillonneur
   623 Magnolia Avenue
   Frederick, MD  21701-8505
   C: 301-788-2806
   E: JWidmann@yahoo.com

   19??-66 H.David Hagen, Chimer
   1966-82 H.David Hagen
   1984-92 Dr.Galen Brooks

*Contact:

   City Parks Department
   111 Airport Drive East
   Frederick, MD  21701
   T: 301-694-1440

*Schedule:

   Cambridge (Westminster) quarters 0800-
   2100 daily (starts 0900 on weekends).
   Sundays at 1230; special events:
   at end of Festival of Lights ceremony
   at City Hall, 2nd Friday in December,
   about 7:30pm; first business day
   after Christmas = Holiday Candlelight
   Tour of Houses of Worship (1600-30,
   1700-30, 1800-30); after fireworks on
   Independence Day (~2115 on July 4);
   New Year's Eve at midnight

*Remarks:

   Chime electrified by Schulmerich 1955.
   Eijsbouts bells cast 1966, installed by
   Verdin.
   Practice clavier from Cranbrook.
   Meneely and Eisjbouts bells retuned by
   R.Watson during latest expansion;
   design & clavier by Meeks & Watson.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 49 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D  in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     A#C   /    A#C   
   Transposition is up  4 semitone(s), i.e., from C to E 
   There are two missing bass semitones
   There is a non-identical practice console
   The instrument was enlarged in 1995
     with 26 bells made by Petit & Fritsen
   Prior history:
     In 1967, the instrument was enlarged to 23 bells
       by Eijsbouts   
       (9 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C F   
       Transposition was up  2 semitone(s), i.e., from C to D 
     In 1941, the instrument was begun with 14 bells
       by Meneely/Wvlt
       (14 bells remain from that work.)
       There were two added semitones
   Auxiliary mechanisms: E     
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                  . meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:   27 meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells:   . meters above ground
     Belfry openness:   .%
   Year of latest technical information source is 2001

Purchasable stock photo of Baker Park and carillon tower.
Purchasable stock photo (vertical stitched panorama) of Baker Park carillon at night.

A Waymarking page for these bells has 6 photos including the tower, keyboard and bells.

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 Eijsbouts bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen 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 year of completion.

Other concert carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

Index to all traditional carillons in MD.

Index to all tower bell instruments in MD.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2022/05/25
   and on technical data last updated on 2001/10/18