Meneely bell foundries on arvau

Wikipedia / Meneely bell foundries

The Meneely Bell Foundry was a bell foundry established in 1826 in West Troy (now Watervliet), New York, by Andrew Meneely. 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.

Bell locations

Meneely Bell Foundry

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	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 Saline	1846 cast	Saline, Michigan	United States	Weighs 1601 pounds. After installation, rang in the New Year of 1847 in New York. Rang in the new location in Saline, MI in 1898. Mounted approx. 60ft high on 8x8 timber.
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	New Brunswick, New Jersey	United States
Newton Presbyterian Church	Newton, New Jersey	United States
First United Methodist Church of Toms River	1853 cast	Toms River, New Jersey	United States	Cast for Second Church Building. Moved to Third Church Building in 1874. Moved to Fourth Church Building in 1970s.
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
First Presbyterian Church	Purchased 1834	Ballston Spa, New York	United States	Purchased for $100 on March 4, 1834
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.
Vernon Center Presbyterian Church	1844 cast	Vernon Center, New York	United States
West Point Cadet Chapel	West Point, New York	United States
King Avenue United Methodist Church	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

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	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
Minneapolis City Hall	1895 cast 1924 cast	Minneapolis, Minnesota	United States	10 bells cast in 1895 4 bells cast in 1924 1 bell supplemented from Petit & Fritzen in 1972
St. Joseph's Catholic Church	1918	Waite Park, Minnesota	United States	MeNeely Bell Company
Church of the Sacred Heart	1872 cast	Waseca, Minnesota	United States	Meneely & Kimberly
Jasper County Courthouse (Missouri)	1895 cast	Carthage, Missouri	United States
Billings First Congregational Church	1889 cast 1957 rehung	Billings, Montana	United States	Clinton H. Meneely
Wells College, Main Building	1922 cast	Aurora, New York	United States	9 bells
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church	Brooklyn, New York	United States
Assumption Church	1922 dedicated	Staten Island, New York	United States
Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower	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"
Spartanburg Town Bell	1880 cast 2026 restored	Spartanburg, South Carolina	United States	Opera House 1881-1907, County Courthouse 1907-1958, storage 1958-1979, freestanding clock tower 1979-2025, currently on display in downtown library. Weighs 1,200 pounds.

Notable bells

Columbian Liberty Bell

Harr Wagner received a letter from William Osborne McDowell, stating that his wife, Madge Morris Wagner was appointed honorary member of the committee to create and direct the use of the Columbian Liberty Bell to be rung at the World's Fair. The bell was to be made up of slaves' chains from all parts of the world and contributions of silver, gold and copper money. It was to be cast at Troy, New York. The idea, expressed in one of Wagner's poems, was adopted as the fundamental motive in the casting of the bell, hence her appointment to an honorary position on the committee having the work in charge.

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.

Saint Anthony’s Church Bell, Prague, Czech Republic

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 (1,155kg).