Church Bell Restoration & Automation

Church Bell Restoration & Automation Experts

Church Bells are one of the most symbolic and cherished of all church furnishings.  Preserving that rich history of church bells is our specialty.  For over a hundred years, Church Specialties has meticulously performed thousands of church bell restorations across the country using traditional and modern practices to preserve and reveal their timeless beauty and sound.

We’ve documented, collected and preserved the rich history of many church bells, cathedral bells, and peals we’ve worked on.

Ask us and we’ll be happy to share the history of your own bells or peals with you.

Restoration: Preserving The Value of Historic Church Bells

The Duffy family of Church Specialties has long been recognized as the premier church bell restoration and repair company in the country. Our mission is to assure the safe, proper and continued use of valuable, historic church bells, cathedral bells, peals and bell towers, drawing on time honored bell making traditions augmented by the newest technologies.  Preserving these priceless treasures and returning them to their original grandeur are our goals.  Whether keeping the patina developed over decades or removing it to reveal a polished, like-new finish, your opinion guides our efforts.

Ringing historic bells?

Please read the maintenance checklist in an article found on restorationtrades.com.

Here are some of the church bells we’ve enjoyed working on during our long history:

  • Meneely Bells
  • McShane
  • Hooper
  • Blake
  • Royal Eijsbouts
  • Petit & Frtizen
  • VanDuzen
  • Paul Revere
  • Piccard
  • Taylor
  • Verdin
  • Schulmerich
  • Stucksteede

…along with many more historic bell foundries.

View some of our Church Bell Restoration Projects Below

Hooper Church Bell Yoke & Wheel Restoration

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Newport, Rhode Island

This historic bell was cast by the Henry N. Hooper & Co. in 1833. We fabricated, delivered and installed a new yoke and wheel.

Church Specialties and Chime Master Systems were commissioned to design, fabricate and install new wooden yoke and wheel.

Our work included removing the bell from the existing supports and lowering it down to the floor below.

The original yoke and wheel were returned to our facility where they were used as templates for the new components. Upon return, the bell was reassembled and lifted back into position.  The new wheel was installed with a new rope.

Complete Meneely Bell Restoration

Demarest Fire Department
Demarest, New Jersey

Original Fire Department Bell Cast by the Meneely Bell Company in Troy, NY in 1896 was restored to original condition.

The fire department bell was transported to our shop where it was cleaned and polished. The cast iron yoke, “A” stands and tolling hammer were painted and a new oak wheel and base frame were fabricated to the original specifications.

 

Historic Meneely Church Bell Restoration

St. Andrew By the Sea
Saltaire, New York

The 391 lb. Meneely bell cast in Troy, NY in 1924 needed complete restoration.  The salt air had deteriorated all the original cast iron hardware and the solid oak beams.

The bell was removed from the tower and taken to the Chime Master shop where we designed, fabricated and installed all new swinging hardware; new headstock, “A” stands, wheel and frame. All new hardware was fabricated. All new steel components were hot dip galvanized and powder coated for decades of protection from the elements. The original patina was left intact, and the completed, assembled restored church bell assembly was returned and reinstalled.

Bronze Bell Structural Wheel Replacement

Wayne Presbyterian Church
Wayne, Pennsylvania

The Wayne Presbyterian Church’s bronze bell was remounted in new structural steel “A” stands, with new yoke and wheel.  The bell was elevated using elongated “A” stands in order to bring the bell up to the level of the louver openings.  This allows the voice of the bell to ring out from the tower.

Chime Master Systems swinging bell ringer and striker were added and are controlled by the Chime Master Systems Millennium Cast Bell controller for the:

  • Call to Worship
  • Prayer Bells
  • Hour Strike, and
  • tolling.

Call Us! 888-570-1042

No project is too large or small.

Call us to discuss your next next church bell restoration project, or fill out the form below and one of the Duffy family members will get back to you right away.

Our extensive client list is available upon request. You will undoubtedly recognize and know many of our happy customers. While our expertise is Meneely Bells, we have worked on McShane, Hooper, Blake, Royal Eijsbouts, Petit & Frtizen, VanDuzen, Paul Revere, Piccard, Taylor, Verdin, Schulmerich, Stucksteede and many more historic bell foundries.

Joe and Chris Duffy - Church Specialties, Since 1919
Joe and Chris Duffy - Church Specialties, Since 1919