Grace Episcopal Church


Grace Episcopal Church	Picture taken at the Gillett & Johnston Factory.

Links to Carillon Inventories
GCNA	Tower Bells	Bok Tower Gardens

The Pittis Carillon in the Grace Episcopal Church is a traditional carillon of 47 bells. The carillon was started in 1923 with 23 bells that were cast by the Gillett and Johnston Bell Foundry. The carillon on dedicated on March 25, 1923.

The carillon was enlarged with bells delivered in 1969 from Les Fils de Georges Paccard. The renovated and expanded carillon was first played on Christmas Eve 1975 and was dedicated May 23, 1976.

Grace Episcopal Church has fallen into hard times recently, with attendance averaging only 25 in a facility designed to hold 500. The church elders decided that it was impossible to maintain the building and chose to offer it for sale. The fate of the carillon is uncertain, but not optimistic.

References
1922 "Rockefeller Gives 42 Bells to Park Ave. Baptist Church," The New York Times, December 6, 1922, Page 1.
The only other set of the kind in the United States will be at Grace Episcopal Church, Plainfield, N.J, to which an anonymous donor has given a carillon of twenty-three bells, also ordered from the Croyden firm.

1923 "Carillon for Grace Church on way here," The Courier-News, February 15, Page 1
Rev. E. Vicars Stevenson advised Bells Shipped on Steamer President Monroe.

1923 "Plan Church Chimes' Service at Plainfield," The Central New Jersey Home News, March 20, 1923, Page 6

1923 "Chimes installed at Grace Church," The Courier-News, March 20, 1923, Page 1
Will be used for first time next Sunday; Corps bell ringers being formed.

1923 "New Chimes recently installed in Grace Church to be played for first time at 10 a.m. tomorrow," The Courier-News, March 24, 1923, Page 1 | Part 2 |

1923 "Crowds Gather to Hear Chimes," The Courier-News, March 26, 1923, Page 1 | Part 2 |
Carillon of Twenty-three bells run at Grace Church yesterday.

1927 Dr Albert Pittis (18 Mar 1873 - 1 Feb 1927) grave

1927 "Pneumonia Proves Fatal to Dr. Pittis," The Courier-News, February 2, 1927, Page 1 | part 2 |
He was also an active member of the committee appointed by Grace Episcopal Church to purchase carillon bells for the church. While no definite statement has been made, it is commonly understood that Dr. Pittis was the donor of the chimes.

1927 "Dr. Albert Pittis," The New York Times, February 3, 1927, Page 21.
Although he never denied or affirmed the report, he is understood to have been the donor of the carillon chimes to Grace Episcopal Church of this city.

1934 Hearings on S.2403 to refund the duty on a carillon imported by Grace Protestant Episcopal Church, Plainfield, New Jersey, February 21,1934.
Bill would refund the $3,743.80 duty paid on the carillon in 1923.

1993 "The Carillon of Grace Episcopal Church, Plainfield, New Jersey," by Robin Austin, Bulletin of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America 42:24-45 (1993)

2022 Sale of Church Building

2022 Grace Episcopal Church Carillon, from the Wayback Machine

2022 Save Grace Church Carillon
Includes many good pictures.