The Netherlands Carillon


Temporary 32-bell carillon installed in Meredith Hill Park for Queen Juliana's Presentation to President Harry S. Truman, April 4, 1952.	Temporary Structure Housing the Carillon from 1954 to 1960, from The Netherlands Carillon, Historic structure report, page 6

Links to Carillon Inventories
GCNA	Tower Bells	Bok Tower Gardens

Govert L. Verheul, a Dutch government official in The Hague, first advocated for a gift to symbolize Dutch-American friendship. The concept took shape, and a fundraising campaign to cast the bells met with a generous response in the Netherlands. Queen Juliana endorsed the project, and on April 4, 1952, she visited the United States to present a small silver bell to President Truman as a token of the carillon to come. In ceremonies at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC, the queen spoke of the importance of the small bells of the carillon:

The 49 bells were installed in a temporary tower in West Potomac Park where they were formally accepted by the United States on May 5, 1954 with presentations by Ferdinand Timmermans and Kamiel Lefevere. The bells were cast jointly and anonymously by the Petit and Fritsen Bell Foundry, the Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry, and the van Bergen Bell Foundry.

A permanent tower was built near the United States Marine Corps War Memorialin Arlington, Virginia, and an official dedication was held on May 5, 1960—the 15th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands from the Nazis. The dedication was played by Ferdinand Timmermans.

The carillon and tower were restored in 1999 and a 50th bell was added. A re-dedication was held on May 5, 1995 by Edward Nassor and Jacques Maassen.

Another restoration took place in 2019 with a re-dedication on May 5, 2022. Three new bells coast by Eijsbouts were added.

References
1951 "Dutch People To Give U.S. 40-Bell Carillon," Dayton Daily News, December 28, 1951, Page 18.

1952 "Gift from Holland," Washington Evening Star, March 15, 1952, Page 1.
A 32-bell carillon will bee played at the presentation ceremony at 3 p.m., April 4.

1952 "The Visit of the Queen of the Netherlands in Washington," by Kamiel Lefevere, Bulletin of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America 6(2):23-24 (June 1952)
During a meeting of the Committee and the three bellfounders it was decided that a 32 bell carillon, which was almost completed at the bellfoundry of H. T. van Bergen, would be rushed to completion and shipped to Washington as a 'temporary carillon' for the visit of the Queen.

1954 "Bells of Gratitude," letter to the Washington Evening Star, January 17, 1954, Page 22.

1954 "Bells for America," The Journal, May 13, 1954, Page 6.

1954 Description of the Bells of the Carillon Presented to the People of the United States as a Token of Gratitude by the People of the Netherlands, Bells for America Committee

1996 "Restoration of the Netherlands Carillon (Arlington, Virginia)," by Edward Nassor, Bulletin of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America 45:45-52 (1996)

1996 Carillon: the evolution of a concert instrument in North America, by Karel and Linda Keldermans | also here |
Page 88: The three Dutch competitors cast bells for the four-octave instrument which would become known as the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. This carillon was a gift from the people of the Netherlands to show their appreciation for the assistance of the United States during World War II. Unfortunately, the mix of bells from three foundries was less than satisfactory. A cooperative venture of this sort has not been attempted since the Arlington carillon.
Page 221-222: The idea for The Netherlands Carillon, located adjacent to the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, came from G.L. Verheul, a Dutch government official in The Hague. The Netherlands Carillon is a gift symbolizing the friendship between the people of the Netherlands to those of the United States.
When the concept took shape, the drive for funds to build the tower and carillon met with generous response from all parts of the Netherlands. The three existing Dutch bellfoundries were selected to cast the bells: Eijsbouts, Petit & Fritsen, and van Bergen. Queen Juliana endorsed the project early on, and during her visit to the United States in 1952, she presented a small bell to President Harry Truman as a token of the carillon which was to come. In 1954, the 49-bell carillon arrived in Washington, D.C., and was installed in a temporary tower. Each bell carries an emblem signifying a group of Dutch society. The inscriptions cast on each bell were composed by Dutch poet Ben van Eysselsteijn. The present tower was designed by a leading Dutch architect, Joost W.C. Boks. On May 5, 1960, the 15th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands from the Nazis, the carillon was dedicated by Ferdinand Timmermans.
In 1995, the carillon was restored by the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in America, Inc., spearheaded by their director, Kersen de Jong. The bells were retuned by Eijsbouts, with a completely new transmission system and a North American Standard keyboard. A 50th commemorative bell was cast by Eijsbouts (D5 on the keyboard). In March of 1995, the new bell was presented to President Bill Clinton by the Dutch Prime Minister, Willem Kok. The tower was also restored during this renovation. Edward Nassor and Jacques Maassen played the re-dedication on May 5, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands from the Nazis.

2018 Rehabilitate Netherlands Carillion to Improve Safety and Visitor Experience

2019 "More bells, less rust. Here's the grand plan to restore the Netherlands Carillon," Washington Business Journal, February 28, 2019

2019 Bells for America : the Cold War, modernism, and the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, by Diederik Oostdijk | Table of Contents |

2019 The Netherlands Carillon, Historic structure report, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

2021 "A Culture Inscribed: Inscriptions and Reliefs on the Bells of the Netherlands Carillon, USA," by Edward M. Nassor, Bulletin of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America 70:60-79 (2021)

The Netherlands Carillon, National Park Service