Chimolas

The origin of the term "chimola" is uncertain.  It appears to have been used by the Meneely (Watervliet) bellfoundry in conjunction with chimes made of hemispherical bells.  We have adopted the word for the same purpose.

Chimes of 4 to 20 hemispherical bells, the largest sometimes weighing more than 1200 pounds, are known to have been made by the following English foundries:
- Gillett & Bland made at least 2 of them, in 1877-78;
- Gillett, Bland & Co. made 1 in 1878;
- Taylor made at least 4 of them between 1864 and 1875;
- Warner made a few of them between 1875 and 1904;
- Whitechapel made dozens of them, as Mears (1848-50), C&G Mears (1851), Mears & Stainbank (1867-1932).
Five were also made by the Meneely/Watervliet foundry in America ("WT" below).

North American chimolas are listed in order by year of installation.

OLD GREENWICH - B             : USA - CT     1901 - Warner
   Chimes Building 
   Tod's Point (Greenwich Point Park) 
PITTSBURGH - FB               : USA - PA     1913 - M&S
   First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh (ABC)
BROOKLYN - STTH               : USA - NY     1924 - WT
   St.Thomas' Episcopal Church 
SCHENECTADY - UC              : USA - NY     1925 - WT
   Memorial Chapel Cupola 
   Union College 
TROY - JC                     : USA - NY     1926 - WT
   (in storage)
   relocated from Bangor PA in 2006
NEWARK - BSC                  : USA - NJ     1927 - WT
   Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church 
BROOKLYN - STBA               : USA - NY     1928 - WT
   St.Bartholomew's Episcopal Church 

Return to Indexes to chimes in North America.


This index page was built on 26-Aug-02 and last revised on 26-Apr-08.

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