Virginia War Memorial Carillon - Richmond, Virginia - Carillon on Waymarking.com

Rising a lofty 240 feet in the heart of Richmond’s William Byrd Park stands the Virginia War Memorial Carillon—the Commonwealth’s official monument to the approximately 3,700 men and women from the state who died as a result of World War I. The Georgian-revival tower houses a massive musical instrument made up of fifty-three fixed bronze bells of varying sizes, still played today by a carilloneur who strikes a pedal keyboard just below the bell chamber.

Dedicated on October 15, 1932—fourteen years after the end of the Great War—the Carillon opened amidst a swirl of patriotic fervor and controversy. Its original design, commissioned several years earlier by the Virginia General Assembly from celebrated Philadelphia architect Paul Cret, called for a sleek classicized temple. Shortly after ground breaking, a citizen’s committee waged a successful popular campaign to build a carillon instead. Fueled by supporting articles from leading newspapers and endorsements from prominent organizations, the legislative body reversed itself and awarded the project instead to the renowned Boston firm of Ralph Adams Cram in association with Carneal, Johnston, & Wright of Richmond. Building the more expensive “singing tower”—a brick encased steel frame that originally supported the heavy bells cast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough, England—required additional fundraising to achieve the final cost of $325,000.

Opening ceremonies, which drew a crowd of 15,000 spectators, launched with military pageantry that included seven bands, thousands of veterans, active duty National Guard units, as well as Virginia Military Institute and Virginia Tech cadets—all parading from the State Capitol. Speeches by international dignitaries alternated with musical interludes performed on the Carillon. The month-long celebration that followed included a dozen additional bell concerts. Visitors touring the memorial delighted in its ground floor museum, which featured donated photographs, posters, uniforms, flags, weapons, and other artifacts from the Great War (now in the collection of the Virginia War Memorial Museum, Newport News, Va.).

Far view of the Carillon
As the memorial opened in the midst of the Great Depression, budgetary compromises altered further plans for the Carillon’s building and surrounding landscape. The walls of the tower’s ceremonial second floor, intended to feature plaques with the names of Virginia’s war dead, remained blank. Shortfalls also forced the cancellation of an extensive reflecting pool to the north—excavated but never completed. In the late 1930s, workers from federally funded Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed walks, terraces and steps while members of local garden clubs provided plantings along the sunken mall. A final embellishment came in 1940: a large gold star made of terrazzo laid into the floor of the entry plaza. Paying tribute to mothers who lost sons in the so-called “War to End All Wars,” the emblem would take on additional somber resonance as the U.S. entered World War II the following year.

Over subsequent decades, the Carillon has remained a beloved landmark. Operated and maintained through a partnership between the Commonwealth and the City of Richmond, the memorial still provides annual holiday concerts and towers above ongoing park activities and festivals. The Carillon is listed as a Virginia Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, and its sweeping vista along the sunken mall remains a historically significant expression of the era’s City Beautiful movement. It has undergone several extensive restoration campaigns, including the refurbishment of the original sixty-six bells in 1970, resulting in the recasting of several bells bringing the count to fifty-three.

The approaching centennial anniversary of World War I (2017-2018), promises a pending restoration effort by the Commonwealth and renewed opportunity for all to appreciate the historic site and recall the sacrifices it commemorates.

—Elizabeth L. O’Leary, Carillon Civic Association, August 2016

Location: 1300 Blanton Ave Richmond, Virginia United States of America 23221 Who controls the carillon?: Richmond, Virginia Number of bells: 53 Year of construction: 10/15/1932 Structure: Free Standing Location web page: [Web Link] Schedule of regular public performances: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
An original photograph of the carillon is required. One of you and your crew doing your very best imitation of Quasimodo and/or Esmeralda will be most appreciated.

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