City of Covington

The Carroll Chimes

Links to Carillon Inventories
GCNA	Tower Bells	Bok Tower Gardens

Kentucky governor Julian Carroll and the state legislature promoted urban renewal projects by soliciting competitive proposals from communities. The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitor's Bureau requested $2.5 million for their German-themed MainStrasse Village project in north Covington that included a new bell tower and glockenspiel. The bureau's executive director Reginald Smith joked that they would call the bell tower "Carroll's Chimes" if they were awarded the money. Their proposal was successful and the name stuck. The bureau ordered 43 Petit and Fritsen bells from Verdin that were dedicated by Governor Carroll at the I.T. Verdin Company facility in Cincinnati on July 19, 1978.

The bells were installed in September and October 1978, and three bells were stolen from the bell tower, although two were quickly found in a nearby vacant lot. One was damaged, but no further information on its repair of the third bell was mentioned in local newspaper accounts. Verdin has been asked for any information they might have and this will be added here.

No information has been found about when the carillon was first played or by whom.

References
1977 "Covington Tourist Project Given Favorable Review," The Courier-Journal, March 17, 1977, Page 1 | Part 2 |
The focal point is a three-block area along Sixth Street at Goebel Park where gazebos and a bell tower would be built.
We're going to call it Carroll's chimes, if we get the money.

1977 "Conventional Grant" The Courier-Journal, May 1, 1977, Page 38
Mainstrasse Village will include a 32-bell carillon, to be named for Gov. Julian Carroll, and a convention center.

1977 "Verdin awarded contract for Main Strasse chimes," The Cincinnati Post, October 6, 1977, Page 28.
43 bells for the Carroll Chimes tower.

1978 "Gov. talks tourism 'n' Terry," Kentucky Post, July 20, 1978, Page 1.
Dedication of carillon bells at the I.T. Verdin Company in Cincinnati.

1978 "Governor Hopes Carillon Will Ring Cash Registers," Kentucky Enquirer, July 20, 1978, Page A1

1978 "Tower rings in rebirth of Covington area," The Courier-Journal, September 24, 1978, Page B3.
They should be operating in less than a month.

1978 "Covington Bells Stolen," The Cincinnati Post, October 19, 1978, Page 22.
Thieves took three bells from the Carroll Chimes Tower in Goebel Park, Fifth and Philadelphia Streets, West Covington, late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but two of them have been recovered.
Covington police said two of the bells were found in a vacant lot on Dalton Street, also in West Covington, Wednesday afternoon. Some boys had told police where the bells were.
One of the recovered bells has a nick in the lip and may have to be sent back to Holland to be recast, said David Verdin of I.T. Verdin Co. which is installing the bells in the carillon tower named in honor of Kentucky's governor.
Police said an effort was made to take a fourth bell from the tower but was abandoned. Verdin said cost of repairing the damaged bell, if it has to be recast, would he $1300.
The three bells are valued at $10,000 police said. A reward fund is being collected for the recovery of the third bell and to reward the children who found the two bells

1978 "A little political," Messenger-Inquirer," November 2, 1978, Page 15.
Governor Carroll was giving a speech in Covington recently, to dedicate a $2 million carillon named --- not by coincidence -- the Carroll Chimes.

2009 Clock tower melds technology, old-world charm

2013 Photos: Inside the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower

2017 Pied piper will get some help in Covington, February 22, 2017

2017 Landmark Bell Tower in MainStrasse to get major repairs, thanks to philanthropist Killian, foundation, March 2, 2017

2022 City hires contractor to fix exterior of Carroll Chimes Bell Tower, July 18, 2022

Community History – Covington – Main Strasse Village