Music and History: Carson City chimes at Laxalt Building resume singing on the hour

Carson City locals that frequent the downtown area may have noticed some silence on the hour instead of the bell chimes familiar ring at the Laxalt Building this past summer. The original Carillon — an electronic device that simulates tuned bell chimes — broke down after ringing on the hour since 1999.

“Technically speaking, there are no bells in the building,” said Kevin Hill, the volunteer carillon and clock attendant. “The carillon actually plays the music and it finally stopped working last year.”

The original carillon just rang itself out of commission, according to Hill. He was willing to source and program a new carillon system, but funds were needed to purchase new equipment.

“We were approached by Jon Vietti of the Buildings and Grounds Department and they were interested in helping to purchase a new carillon, which they did,” said Hill. They helped us research different models and were a huge help.”

The new electronic carillon system was installed just in time to continue the tradition of playing “Home Means Nevada,” as Gov. Brian Sandoval marched past the Laxalt Building during the 2017 Nevada Day Parade.

“We are grateful to Buildings and Grounds for stepping up to replace the carillon. I have heard from many people around town telling me that they were missing the music,” said Hill. “I have watched people dancing in the street to songs and holding their hand-over-heart for the start of the Star Spangled Banner. It means so much to the people of Carson City.”

The carillon is currently programmed to play holiday songs on the hour through Dec. 26. It plays themed music for other holidays as well, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day, Flag Day and Halloween. It also plays special songs for winter, summer, spring and fall to ring in each equinox and solstice.

“It’s truly a step back in time,” said Hill.

The Laxalt Building was built between 1889 to 1892 and was originally a federal courthouse and then a U.S. Post Office. It was later used as the Nevada State Library. One of 17 buildings across the nation designed by Mifflin E. Bell, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department it is now one of only two that’s still standing. The building, while serving many purposes, stood nameless for over 100 years. It wasn’t until the restoration project that brought the clock back to life and introduced the first carillon system in 1999 that it was named the Laxalt Building in dedication of Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt.

Currently, the building is still utilized by the state and housed by the Nevada Commission on Tourism and the Nevada Magazine publishing staff occupies the first floor.

The following reporting by Terry Vance was published to Carson Now in 2015 and explains the beginning of the Carillon and restoration of the original clock. The full article can be viewed here.

The clock, the ninth of 17 known clocks built by Bohemian immigrant Joseph Barborka, was installed in 1892. It kept time for nearly 100 years, when Hartman noticed it no longer functioned.

He approached state officials and offered to restore the piece of local history with fellow retired Navy officer Lee Carter, both of whom had a history in engineering.

Upon entering the clock tower for the first time, Hartman said, they found the clock in a heap on the floor. They learned it had been disassembled in the 1980s as part of earthquake retrofitting after the Dixie Valley earthquake in 1954 broke some spires off the top of the building and caused damage to the clock.

With no experience, they set about restoring the artifact to working order.

“Engineers can just tinker around with stuff,” he said. And they resisted the urge to modernize it.

“A lot of old clocks have been electrified,” he said. “I really didn’t want to do that. I wanted to keep it original.”
Hartman estimates they invested about 100 hours to restore the clock works. The clock officially ticked backed to life on June 10, 1999.

But the work was not finished. Shortly after the restoration, a committee was formed to add a carillon, an automated mechanism that plays Westminster chimes, to the tower.

Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20 of that year, the community raised $11,000. With such a tight crunch before the Oct. 30 Nevada Day celebration, Hartman propped the speakers out of the window of the Laxalt Building.
They played “Home Means Nevada,” as then-Gov. Kenny Guinn drove past, a tradition that continues today.

Now, approaching 2018, the clock is still functioning well and is quite accurate. History is leaping off the walls in the tower with signatures dating back to 1889.

As Hill slowly winds the clock which is mechanically powered by a weight that expands the entire height of the building it’s hard not to reflect. “There’s times I’m up here it seems like 10 minutes, and then it’s 45 minutes later,” he said. “It really is like time stands still when you are in the tower.”

Kevin Hill is a volunteer and visits the building within every 14 days to wind the clock and program the carillon.