Disassembly, removal, and moving of the tubular bell carillon from Los Angeles High School to Immanuel Presbyterian Church

 The tubular bell carillon was manufactured by the J.C. Deagan Company of Chicago, and installed in the tower of Los Angeles High School in January 1929. Monies were raised by the Alumni Association, as well as the student body to pay for the carillon and its installation. Throughout the years, the carillon chimed the hour, as well as played songs for the school and the surrounding community. The school building was made famous in the late 1960's as the school building shown in the opening scene of the television programme "Room 222".

     The school buildings suffered catastrophic damage in the February 1971 Sylmar Earthquake. A decision was made to demolish the buildings because of the damage that the buildings received which had rendered them unsafe. The school requested that the carillon be removed and preserved to be installed later somewhere on campus. Their request was granted. The Westminster Chiming Devise and the relay cabinet were carefully removed and crated, and the carillon rack and bells were removed from the tower. The top of the tower was sheered off and 4, large and specially made angle brackets were bolted onto the corners of the carillon frame, and the carillon (all 11,000 pounds) was picked up as a unit out of the tower. It was then placed on a newly made concrete pad next to the athletic field, and then the new athletic field bleachers were constructed over them, burying them away in a sort of time capsule for 35 years.

      In the fall of 2005, by happen chance, Michael Williamson was contact by a friend who had heard that Los Angeles High School was interested in finding a home for their long-stored, Deagan tubular bell carillon. Michael Williamson was then put in contact with the School and the Alumni Association who then did inform him that they were indeed interested in finding a new home for the carillon. There requirements for a new home were specific, if they could be met: A building of similar age, a building that is reasonably close to Los Angeles High School so that the student body, Alumni, and the community around Los Angeles High School could again hear the instrument played, that it would be restored and installed, and that it would again play music for the community where it was installed. Michael Williamson by chance had been asked for the past several years by a client of theirs, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, if a recycled carillon instrument became available, that they would be interested in pursuing it.

     Michael Williamson put Immanuel Presbyterian Church and Los Angeles High School together and a deal was struck in the spring of 2006. All said that it was a 'perfect match', as Immanuel Presbyterian Church's building was the same year as the old high school building, and that they were less than 2 miles apart!

     The disassembly was begun in June of 2006, and the carillon was move and stored at Immanuel Presbyterian Church on July 08, 2006.

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