Juutila Foundry

Juutila Foundry casts products out of bronze and brass. The foundry can make single pieces up to 500 kg (about 1100 lb).

The different kinds of bells and mortars and pestles were one of the main products in the early history of the foundry. The products of Juutila were originally sold as far as in Vyborg and Sortavala in Karelia.[4] Some of the products found their way even to St. Petersburg.[5]

In the 1940s the foundry made a large number of school bells. Five men were working in the foundry then. In the 1960s Juutila Foundry started to make church bells, which became the main products in the 1980s and 1990s.[6] Nowadays Juutila Foundry manufactures about half a dozen church bells annually.[7]

Foundry worked the first hundred years in an old workshop. The new foundry building of brick was built in 1982.

Juutila Foundry makes many kinds of bells (church bells, jingle bells, sleigh bells), candlesticks, reliefs, grave crosses, business gifts etc.[8]

In the 21st century Juutila Foundry has been casting also the medallions of Cranbrook chairs (new production) designed by Eliel Saarinen.[9][10]

Hartola Church in Päijänne Tavastia

Kontiolahti Church in North Karelia

Juutila Foundry has manufactured church bells e.g. to these churches in Finland:

• Hanko[7]
• Hartola, Hartola Church
• Iisalmi
• Kaavi, Luikonlahti Orthodox Chapel[11]
• Kangasala, Sahalahti Church
• Kempele, Kempele Church
• Kiuruvesi, Lapinsalo Church[12]
• Kontiolahti, Kontiolahti Church[13]
• Kuopio, Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Ylösnousemuksen kirkko) in Juankoski
  • two brass bells (since 1990)
  • bigger bell: diameter about 77 cm (ca 30 inches), weight 265 kg (about 584 pounds), pitch B
  • smaller bell: diameter about 60 cm (ca 24 inches), weight 135 kg (about 298 pounds), pitch D[14]
• Kuopio, Juankoski Orthodox Church[15]
• Kuopio, Murtolahti Chapel in Nilsiä[16][17]
  • brass bell (since 2005)
  • diameter about 41 cm (about 16 inches)[14]
• Lahti, Mukkula Parish Centre
• Lapinlahti, Alapitkä Church[18]
• Lappeenranta, Orthodox church of Lappeenranta [19][20]
  • bronze bell, weight 180 kg
• Nivala, Karvoskylä Chapel[21]
• Nokia, Pinsiö Church[22]
• Pyhäjoki, Pyhäjoki Church[23]
• Pyhäjärvi, Pyhäjärvi Church
• Ristijärvi, Ristijärvi Church
  • since 2007
  • weight 160 kg [24][25]
• Savonlinna, Haukiniemi Orthodox Chapel
  • three bells
  • largest bronze bell weights 40 kg[26]
• Utsjoki, Nuorgam[9]

Venehjärvi Orthodox Chapel in Republic of Karelia, Russia,[26] and church in Koltuši (Колтуши), Russia, have also bells from Juutila Foundry. They have exported Juutila bells also to Australia,[9] Bolivia, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania and Uruguay.[5][7][8]

In the beginning of new millennium they decided to establish a foundry museum to preserve foundry's history. By the expertise of the Finnish National Board of Antiquities the items of the old foundry were counted. They listed almost 2 000 objects from the foundry.[5]

The old foundry got a new location in the other side of the yard and it became a museum introducing especially the traditional sand casting method of the foundry.[3][27]

Juutila Foundry Museum was opened in 2004. It is open in summer.[3][6]

• Photo: Moving old foundry to new location (building Foundry Museum)
• Photo: Juutila's horse bell, diameter 10,7 cm (about 4 inches), from Museum of Lieksa (Pielisen museo)