Meneely bell foundries

A Meneely bell at the Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts

The Meneely Bell Foundry was a bell foundry established in 1826 in West Troy (now Watervliet), New York, by Andrew Meneely.[citation needed] Two of Andrew's sons continued to operate the foundry after his death, while a third son, Clinton H. Meneely, opened a second foundry across the river with George H. Kimberly in Troy, New York in 1870. Initially named the Meneely Bell Company of Troy, this second foundry was reorganized in 1880 as the Clinton H. Meneely Company, then again as the Meneely Bell Company. Together, the two foundries produced about 65,000 bells before they closed in 1952.[1][2]

Bell locations

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Meneely Bell Foundry

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Selected bells attributed to the West Troy foundry.

Site Image Dates Location Country Description
Boys' Camp, Camp Mini-Yo-We Huntsville, Ontario Canada Originally cast for Mountainside Gospel Chapel in Mountainside, New Jersey. Later donated to Camp Mini-Yo-We upon amalgamation with Liquid Church.
St. Lawrence Hall 1849 cast Toronto, Ontario Canada Unused and virtually inaccessible in the cupola
Wesley Knox United Church Woodville, Nova Scotia Canada
Roddick Gates, McGill University Montreal, Quebec Canada
Saint Anthony's Church (Svateho Antonina) 1918 purchased Strossmayerovo Namesti, Prague Czech Republic
First Baptist Church 1869 cast

1887 repaired 1963 moved

Huntsville, Alabama United States Donated by deacon James Hamilton to Enon Baptist Church downtown. Later moved to current site.
Church of the Nativity Menlo Park, California United States
Saint Joseph Parish (Mountain View, California) Mountain View, California United States Striker replaced in 2018. A-frames scheduled for replacement in 2024.
San Jose State University 1881 cast

Rehung 1910 and 1960s

San Jose, California United States Cast to commemorate the California State Normal School. Weighs 3,000-pounds. Silenced after an earthquake in 1903. Re-installed in Tower Hall in 1910 and rung on special occasions. Later retired and relocated to ground level due to seismic concerns.
St. Mary Catholic Church Bethel, Connecticut United States
Bulkley Memorial Carillon Danbury, Connecticut United States
Lupton Hall Carillon, Oglethorpe University Atlanta, Georgia United States
Faith Chapel 1901 cast Jekyll Island, Georgia United States Chapel built 1904
Lovely Lane Chapel, Epworth By The Sea 1881 cast St. Simons Island, Georgia United States
Lacon Congregational Church 1890 cast Lacon, Illinois United States
St. Paul Lutheran Church 1860s purchased Pontiac, Illinois United States
Rock Island Arsenal Clock Tower 1867 cast Rock Island, Illinois United States Weighs 3,538 pounds
University of Northern Iowa[3] 1926 dedicated Cedar Falls, Iowa United States
Mattawamkeag Church of God Mattawamkeag, Maine United States
Joseph Dill Baker Memorial Carillon Frederick, Maryland United States Baker Park
Plainville Historical Commission 1905 cast Plainville, Massachusetts United States
First Presbyterian Church of Adrian 1846 cast Adrian, Michigan United States Weighs 1601 pounds. After installation, rang in the New Year in 1847.
Laingsburg United Methodist Church 1881 cast Laingsburg, Michigan United States
Immanuel Lutheran Church Madison, Nebraska United States
Thompson Hall (University of New Hampshire) Durham, New Hampshire United States Original church was located on Greenwood Ave. Later relocated behind the "new" church on Dodgingtown Road.
Columbia High School (New Jersey) Maplewood, New Jersey United States Large bell chimes the hour
St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church[4] New Brunswick, New Jersey United States
Newton Presbyterian Church[5] Newton, New Jersey United States
Friendship Fire Company #1 1875 cast Woodbury, New Jersey United States Created for the Woodbury Fire Association
Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack Claverack-Red Mills, New York United States
Saint Michael's Church (Rochester, New York) 1847 cast Rochester, New York United States 2 bells weighing 1,015 pounds and 525 pounds
St. Anthony's Church Albany, New York United States
First Presbyterian Church 1848 cast Avon, New York United States 33", 700 pound bell
Carlisle Presbyterian Church Carlisle, New York United States
Central United Methodist Church Endicott, New York United States
Jamesville Community Museum Jamesville, New York United States Created for the former 1878 Episcopal church
St. Andrew's Catholic Church Norwood, New York United States 3,100-pound bell of ingot copper and East India tin
Church of the Ascension 1873 cast

1888 resold

Rockville Centre, New York United States Cast for Christ Church, Poughkeepsie, New York. Sold back to the foundry and resold to Church of the Ascension.
Saugerties Lighthouse Saugerties, New York United States
Phi Sigma Kappa, Gamma Tetarton Chapter (Troy, NY) 1882 dedicated Troy, New York United States The building was originally St. Francis DeSales Church. Dedicated by Rev. William A. Drum.
West Point Cadet Chapel[6] West Point, New York United States
King Avenue United Methodist Church[7] Columbus, Ohio United States
Mt. Zion Baptist Church Portland, Oregon United States Formerly Deutsche Congregationale Zion Kirche (German Congregational Zion Church)
St. Peter Cathedral (Erie, Pennsylvania) Erie, Pennsylvania United States
Christ Episcopal Church (Reading, Pennsylvania) 1874 cast Reading, Pennsylvania United States Set of 10 bells
Trinity Church (Newport, Rhode Island) Newport, Rhode Island United States
National Patriots Bell Tower carillon Valley Forge National Park, Pennsylvania United States
St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church 1901 cast

3 bells added 1966

Charleston, South Carolina United States Set of 10 bells. All bells refurbished in 2008 by Christop Paccard Bellfoundries.
Wofford College Spartanburg, South Carolina United States
First United Methodist Church (Crockett, Texas) 1859 cast

1901 moved

Crockett, Texas United States
Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church Sherman, Texas United States
Cathedral Church of St. Mark Salt Lake City, Utah United States
Saint Peter's Catholic Church Rutland, Vermont United States
Wilder Center Wilder, Vermont United States
Eastern State Hospital Medical Library, Building No. 3 1866 cast Williamsburg, Virginia United States Signified curfews and special events at the nation's oldest psychiatric hospital

Second Meneely bell foundry

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Selected bells attributed to the Troy foundry:

  • Meneely & Kimberly
  • Meneely Bell Company of Troy
  • Clinton H. Meneely Company
  • Meneely Bell Company
Site Image Dates Location Country Description
St. Andrew's United Church[8] Markham, Ontario Canada
Sainte-Marthe-De-Vaudreuil Catholic Church Quebec Canada
Parish Church of San Andres Xecul Totonicapan Guatemala
Hume Memorial Church (A.F.C.C) Congregation 1914 cast Ahmednagar, Maharashtra India
Tunghai University Taichung Taiwan Cast for Miss Elsie Priest
Veterans Park 1874 cast

2010 installed

Poway, California United States
Schofield Barracks Soldiers Chapel 1911 cast Wahiawa, Hawaii United States
Davis County Courthouse 1879 cast Bloomfield, Iowa United States Meneely & Kimberly
St. Patrick's Catholic Church 1910 cast Ogden, Kansas United States
First Baptist Church 1859 cast Clinton, Louisiana United States
Cushing Academy 1890 cast Ashburnham, Massachusetts United States Clinton H. Meneely
Church of the Sacred Heart 1872 cast Waseca, Minnesota United States Meneely & Kimberly
First Congregational United Church of Christ (Billings, Montana) 1889 cast

1957 rehung

Billings, Montana United States Clinton H. Meneely
Wells College, Main Building 1922 cast Aurora, New York 9 bells
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church Brooklyn, New York United States
Assumption Church[9] 1922 dedicated Staten Island, New York United States
Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower[10] 1930s cast Chapel Hill, North Carolina United States Meneely Bell Company. 12 bells supplemented by two bells from Petit & Fritsen in 1998.
Cortland Elementary School 1876 cast Cortland, Ohio United States Meneely & Kimberly
Phelps School Malvern, Pennsylvania United States The "Victory Bell"

Notable bells

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Columbian Liberty Bell

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The Columbian Liberty Bell was cast by Clinton H. Meneely's foundry for display at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The bell disappeared while on tour in Europe.[11] [12]

Saint Anthony’s Church Bell, Prague, Czech Republic

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The Meneely bell that hangs in St Anthony's Church in Prague was purchased by the Mid-European Union in October 1918 to commemorate the independence of Czechoslovakia after World War I and donated to the group's president, Thomas Masaryk, who became the head of the country's provisional government and, in 1920, the Czechoslovak president. The bell cost $2,000 and weighed 2,542 pounds (1,155 kg).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Meneely Bell Online Museum
  2. ^ "Rensselaer County Historical Society. (RCHS says the financial records of these foundries are located at 1) Hudson-Mohawk Industrial Gateway, Foot of Polk St., Troy, NY 12180; and 2) Manuscripts & Special Collections, New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230.)".
  3. ^ "Tower Instruments by State". allchimes.org.
  4. ^ "The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America".
  5. ^ "Newton, NJ - Churches". www.newtonnj.net.
  6. ^ "The Cadet Chapel [at West Point] • Chapter 3".
  7. ^ King Avenue United Methodist Church
  8. ^ "Home | Markham | St. Andrew's United Church". unitedchurchsite.
  9. ^ Assumption-St. Paul Church
  10. ^ CHAPEL HILL : USA - NC
  11. ^ "WONDERFUL LIBERTY BELL; IT IS TO CONTAIN HISTORICAL RELICS OF GREAT VALUE. It Will Be Cast at Troy Next Month and Will Weigh 13,000 Pounds -- It Will Con- tain Relics of Washington, Jefferson, and Other American Heroes -- Women Have Sent Their Wedding Rings -- Rare Coins Have Been Contributed -- School Children Have Had an Important Share". The New York Times. April 24, 1893 – via NYTimes.com.
  12. ^ "COLUMBIAN LIBERTY BELL CAST.; The Operation a Success, It Is Thought -- Mrs. Cleveland Had No Part in It". The New York Times. June 23, 1893 – via NYTimes.com.
  13. ^ Skinner, Charles. "Bell Casting in Troy". Meneeley Bell online Museum. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
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