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Tower Bells of Grace Church in Providence

The chiming of Grace Church's tower bells is a tradition nearly as old as
the Church itself. Each of the sixteen bells has its own unique history and
sound, and the beautiful music they make has come to be a regular and
essential feature in the life of the City.

Erected in two decks in the tower, the bells were cast by Henry N. Hooper
and Company of Boston in 1861 and were used for the first time on Easter
Sunday of that year. The bells' aggregate weight is more than 8 tons, and
their original cost was approximately $6,000. The bells have an unusual
character in that they were founded on the proportion of the Spanish bell,
which is longer in the waist and gives the minor third in the harmonics
instead of the major third that is commonly used.

The largest bell, the D, is the Bishop's Bell. The second bell, the E, is
known as the Rector's Bell. The third bell, tuned to F-sharp, is the Brown
University Bell, which was presented by John Carter Brown of the
University's Class of 1816. A member of Brown's Corporation for 46 years,
John Carter Brown was a direct descendent of Nicholas Brown of the Class of
1786, whose benefactions led to the naming of the University for his family.
This bell was presented on the condition that the chimes would be rung on
the morning and afternoon of every Commencement Day. Thus far, the bells
have played the Brown ³ Alma Mater² each year for well over 100 years.

The next bell sounds the note of G. This was a gift of Alexander Duncan, a
public-spirited citizen remembered for his benefaction to Butler Hospital,
among other services to the community.

The G-sharp bell carries an inclusive and egalitarian inscription, ³from the
Citizens of Providence.²

Dedicated to ³the Constitution and the Union,² the A bell was the gift of
the Providence Marine Company of Artillery, chartered in 1801.

Another military organization, the Providence First Light Infantry,
contributed the A-sharp bell, dedicated to ³Liberty Protected by Law.² This
bell, like the Brown University Bell, has a special date of its own. It was
requested to be rung each year on the 10th of September, ³forever in memory
of Oliver Hazard Perry of Rhode Island, the Victor of Lake Erie, 1813.²

The B bell was contributed by members of the Rhode Island Bar Association.

The next bell, a C, came from A.D. and J.Y. Smith and Company.

The C-sharp bell is inscribed ³from the Physicians of Providence.²

In tribute to the wonderful tradition of music in Grace Church, the D bell
was given by the Church's choir.

Three individuals, Thomas Burgess, Elizabeth H. Burgess, and Frederic B.
Burgess, Jr., gave the D-sharp bell.

The E bell was contributed by the Sunday School of Grace Church.

The F bell was given by the personal staff of William Sprague, Governor of
Rhode Island in 1860.

The F-sharp bell was given by Walter S. Burgess, Attorney General of Rhode
Island in 1860 and later Judge. His grandson was the distinguished Senator
Theodore Francis Green.

The last of the 16 bells, the G, was given by George M. Richmond, Frank E.
Richmond, and Walter Richmond of Woonasquatucket Print Works .

While serving Grace Church, the bells recall industry, education,
government, the professions, patriotism, and the vocation of the devout. In
over 100 years, their pealing was interrupted only once, in 1940, when some
of them were recast and retuned through the generosity of Rose Anne
Grosvenor, who provided their endowment. Grace Church observed the
Centennial of the chiming of the bells at morning service on Sunday, April
14, 1961, when their history was recalled and each bell was singled out for
identification. The bells were turned and the housing restored in 1989.