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List of bells in Boston

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bells in Filene's building, Downtown Crossing, Boston, 2008

This is a compilation of functioning bells in Boston, Massachusetts, located primarily in bell towers.

List

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  • Church of the Advent[1]
  • Faneuil Hall. The bell was repaired in 2007 by spraying the frozen clapper with WD-40 over the course of a week and attaching a rope. Prior to this repair, the last known ringing of the bell with its clapper was at the end of World War II, in 1945, though it had since been rung several times by striking with a mallet.[2]
  • King's Chapel. The King's Chapel bell, cast in England, was hung in 1772. In 1814 it cracked, was recast by Paul Revere, and was rehung. It is the largest bell cast by the Revere foundry, and the last one cast by Paul Revere himself. It has been rung at services ever since.
  • Old North Church. Eight change ringing bells at Old North Church were cast in Gloucester, England in 1744 and hung in 1745. One bell has the inscription: We are the first ring of bells cast for the British Empire in North America, A.R. 1744.(Abel Rudhall, Bell Founder, Gloucester 1714-1760) The bells were restored in 1894 and in 1975. They are maintained and rung regularly by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Guild of Bellringers.[3]
  • Old South Church[4]
  • Old South Meeting House Old South Meeting House now is home to a Paul Revere bell, cast in 1801. The bell was installed in 2011 [1]
  • Arlington Street Church
  • Park Street Church Whitechapel bell cast by Thomas Mears in 1819 for the church. Five bells cast and installed in 2021 by Meeks & Watson, Georgetown Ohio, tuned to match original bell. Prior to 2021, the Whitechapel bell had been silent for as much as a hundred years or more (per church records), other than occasional manual ringing with a mallet. All six bells are controlled electronically, and are equipped with both strikers and swinging motors. The new bells were pitched so as to chime the Westminster quarters, with the Whitechapel bell tolling the hour. The pitches are F#-A-B-D-E-F#.
  • Cathedral of the Holy Cross Five bells cast in 1859 and 1860, moved from the former Holy Trinity Church, Shawmut Ave.
  • Filene's building, Downtown Crossing. 4 small bells, which chime the Westminster quarters.
  • The Mother Church (The First Church of Christ, Scientist). A chime of 18 bells installed 1984. Westminster quarters rung on D-E-A-B-C#

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Church of the Advent, Boston". Archived from the original on 2015-03-20. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  2. ^ Boston Globe. 2007-05-05
  3. ^ "The Old North Church". Archived from the original on 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  4. ^ "The 1896 Great Bell in the tower at Old South Church rings for the Boston Marathon, 2007". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15 – via YouTube.

Further reading

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  • Flickr. Filene's four-bell carillion that chimes the hour. 2005
  • Flickr. Bell on the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor, 2006. 2008
  • Flickr. Bell Ringing Room of the Old North Church in Boston, 2006
  • Flickr. "In the belfry of St. Stephen's Church on Hanover Street in Boston's North End, designed by architect Charles Bulfinch. The bell in the belfry is said to have been cast by Paul Revere." 2009