Troy’s History Rings Loudly!

By Don Rittner

For thousands of years, bells have served in various capacities in most civilized cultures. They have been used to signal time, human passings, or natural disasters. Bells have been used to communicate, or played as musical instruments. They have been part of the rituals of religious institutions for centuries. Even today, many ancient Chinese bells, some more than 3000 years old, remain artifacts that still function from the time of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

While bells have been part of humanity’s tool box, some of the finest sounding bells were cast right here in Troy and across the river at West Troy (Watervliet) during the 19th and 20th centuries. Thousands of Troy bells still grace church towers and other institutions around the world. Troy bells are known for their quality of sound and workmanship. Yet, this local industry that served the world comprised no more than four companies and was pretty much a family affair: the Mennely family (two different companies) , Julius Hanks, and Jones and Company.

Troy’s first bell caster, Julius Hanks, was the son of Benjamin Hanks who built the first bell foundry in America. Julius moved his manufactory of scientific instruments from Watervliet (then Gibbonsville) to the corner of Fifth and Fulton in Troy in 1825. Besides church bells, Hanks began to make town clocks and surveyor’s instruments. One of Hanks employees, William Gurley, a graduate from RPI (then called Rensselaer Institute), later established on the same site the manufacturing company of surveyors instruments that became famous for their engineering and quality. The Gurley Building still stands at this location.

When Hanks operated his foundry in Gibbonsville, Andrew Meneely, the son of Irish immigrants, became an apprentice, learned the trade, and later purchased the foundry after Hanks moved to Troy. Andrew also married the niece of Julius Hanks cousin Horatio. Andrew’s sons George and Edwin took over the business in 1851 when Andrew died.

The Meneely brothers gained a reputation for excellent quality and George was awarded a patent for a method of attaching bells to a yoke that permitted the bell to turn allowing the clapper to hit all parts of the bell, instead of one spot, thereby avoiding the chance of cracking like the fate of the Liberty Bell.

A brother-in-law of Andrew Meneely, James Harvey Hitchcock, left the employ and along with Eber Jones created a competing bell company, Jones and Hitchcock, later Jones and Company, in 1852. While they gave Mennely a run for the money, they went out of business only 35 years later. One of their last castings was the tower bell that was placed in old city hall on the corner of Third and State.

A third son of Andrew Meneely, Clinton Hanks Meneely, entered the bell making business in Troy with George H. Kimberley on River and Adams Streets directly across the river from his brothers. This created a feud that lasted for years, including a court case to force Clinton not to use the Mennely name. The West Troy Meneelys lost the case.

Both Meneelys produced thousands of bells, over 350 chimes (8 or more bells) and a few carillons (23 or more bells) until they both went out of business in the early 1950’s. Their bells still ring, however!

According to Joe Connors, a chime historian who not only can play them but has videotaped many, says that the surviving chimes located in Troy churches were made by both Meneely foundries.

Holy Cross Episcopal (only 6 bells) , Woodside Presbyterian (Key of G), Ascension Episcopal (Key of G) and St. John’s Episcopal (probably F or G originally) have sets cast by the Meneely’s of West Troy.

St. John’s Episcopal (West Troy bells replaced in 1911 by Clinton’s in E Flat - no one knows why), St. Peter’s (E Flat), St Joseph's (E Flat) and St Patrick's Roman Catholic (E Flat) churches all have chimes cast by Clinton Meneely of Troy.

P. Thomas Carroll, Executive Director of The Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway reports that close to 50 to 100,000 bells were produced in this area and most are probably still out there. And according to Connors, almost 70% of the chimes made in the country were made by the two Meneely and Jones bell makers making this area the premier bell casting region in the country.

Interestingly, the Meneely foundries had other differences - the actual tone of their bells. According to Musicologist Dis Maley, Jr., who has perfect pitch and has listened to many of the local bells, Andrew Meneely’s bells seemed to have been tuned to the keys of F or G, while Clinton Meneely’s bells were in the key of E Flat. Whether this holds true for all the bells cast by these two foundries will make a good research project.

Maley also says that the Clinton Bells were heavier, sounding stronger, but have undertones in the higher bells. Clinton apparently cast his bells exactly to specifications but did not tune them afterward.

Andrew’s bells, which were lighter after 1922, would be tuned after casting if they were off key. According to Maley, this gives Andrew’s bells a bit more musical quality than Clinton's. Whether this tonal difference was done on purpose - Clinton trying to differentiate his from his brothers - is unknown and worthy of further study.

P. Thomas Carroll, of the Gateway would like to see all of the existing Meneely bells in the area ring at the same time, on the 200th anniversary of Andrew Meneely’s birthday in 2002, or perhaps, more fitting, on the birth day of Julius Hanks, the first bell maker of Troy.

The Gateway was given a one-ton West Troy Meneely Bell from Senator Joseph Bruno last November and is now looking for a suitable place to house the bell so the public can have a chance to see it and ring it on special occasions. Where do you think the bell should be housed? Personally, I would like to see it in front of City Hall, next to the Visitors Center, with a nice plague that describes the bell industry of Troy.

©1999 Don Rittner

Don is the author of Images of America - Troy and the upcoming Lansingburgh book in the series. Reach him at drittner@aol.com.