WKU News & Events

December 14, 2001

Facts About The Guthrie Plaza
And Bell Tower

Bowling Green, Ky. - The Guthrie Plaza, which will include a clock and bell tower, is made possible by a gift from the Lowell Guthrie family.

Guthrie is president and CEO of Trace Die Cast in Bowling Green. The plaza, near the new Media and Technology Hall, will be named in honor of Lowell Guthrie's wife, Carolyn. The tower will be named in memory of his brother, Sgt. 1st Class Robert Guthrie, who was killed in the Korean War.

The architect for the project is Arrasmith, Judd, Rapp, Architects Inc. and the general contractor for the project is Star Construction, Inc.

Upon completion, the tower will stand 125.5 feet tall with clock faces on all four sides and will house four bells. The bells, which were cast in France, are on display at the ground floor in Diddle Arena until installation in the tower early in 2002.

Currently, brick and precast concrete are being installed on the tower. Next, the bells will be installed. The cupola, which is based on the design of the cupola atop Cherry Hall, will be installed just after the bells.

The tower area will be dedicated in May 2002 and the rest of the plaza will be dedicated with the completion of the Media and Technology Hall.

The goal is to have a 47-bell (4½ octave) carillon weighing approximately 25,000 pounds. The bells would range from the 4,630-pound, 59-inch diameter bell (low C) to a 25-pound 8-inch diameter bell (high C).

The four bells on display represent bells numbered one, four, six and eight in the 47-bell scheme. The bells are made of bronze, which is composed of 80 percent copper and 20 percent tin.

Size specifications on the other three bells are: 2,000-pound, 45-inch diameter (F tone); 1,418-pound, 39¾-inch diameter (G tone); 1,000-pound, 35½-diameter (A tone)

The bells were purchased from The van Bergen Company in Charleston, S.C., the American sales agent of Paccard Bells. The van Bergen Company will construct the frame and install the ringing equipment. The bells will be rung by electronic ringers that can be triggered from a remote location.

The bells were cast at the Paccard Bell Foundry in Lac D-Annecy, France, in a process that took about six months.

Inscriptions on the bells dedicate them to the spirit of Western, its alumni, faculty and staff, and they recognize Guthrie family members and the Trace Die Cast board of directors.

Each bell also is inscribed with "Guthrie Carillon -- Western Kentucky University 2002."

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