The 62 rings (tower bells hung for change-ringing, plus one mini-ring) which are known to have been installed or contracted in North America were (or are expected to be) completed in the chronological sequence shown here. In each case, the year shown reflects when the tower reached a significant number of bells; notes (*) indicate earlier stages along the way, as well as later enlargements. Later recastings are also mentioned as notes. Defunct rings, as well as those converted to chimes, are listed here as a matter of historical record, making this "year of completion" index different from all others on this Website. Not shown here are places where there are plans to install a ring but no contract to do so has yet been reported.
NOTE: If you do not find here a city (or instrument) which you think should be listed, then check the combined index to all North American sites or the list of defunct chimes and rings.
Of the 63 installations, 54 are believed to be currently ringable.
At the bottom of this page is a chart which depicts somewhat graphically the number of installations per decade.
BOSTON - CC : USA - MA 1744 Christ Church ("Old North"; Episcopal) Dorchester : USA - SC 1751+ St.George's Episcopal Church (defunct) PHILADELPHIA - CC : USA - PA 1754 chime Christ Church (Episcopal) unringable since before 1939 CHARLESTON - STMI : USA - SC 1764 * St.Michael's Episcopal Church * (was unringable c.1830-1992) NEW YORK - TC/1 : USA - NY 1797 chime Trinity Parish Church (Episcopal) (sometimes called Holy Trinity) unringable since at least 1939, and probably since installation in present building in 1845; see also TC/2, below19th century - 9 installations (5 currently ringable)
Baltimore : USA - MD 1805 Christ Church (Episcopal) (defunct) QUÉBEC - HT : CANADA - QU 1830 La Cathedrale Episcopale de la Sainte-Trinité PHILADELPHIA - STP : USA - PA 1843 chime St.Peter's Episcopal Church ringing ceased about 1848; played solely by Ellacombe stand since then BUFFALO - STP : USA - NY 1856 chime St.Paul's Episcopal Cathedral (originally St.Paul's Episcopal Church) (defunct; replaced by chime) NEW WESTMINSTER : CANADA - BC 1861 Holy Trinity Cathedral (defunct) BURLINGTON : USA - NJ 1865 St.Mary's Episcopal Church (was unringable c.1890-1994) PHILADELPHIA - STMKL : USA - PA 1878 * St.Mark's Episcopal Church * first 4 bells installed 1876; was unringable 1878-1999 QUÉBEC - B : CANADA - QU 1885 The St.Matthew's Bell Tower (was part of St.Matthew's Church) EXETER : CANADA - ON 1890/2015 Trivitt Memorial Church (Anglican) [chime with 6 bells hung to swing full-circle; rehung on standard fittings in 2015]19th & 20th century - 2 special cases
Two sets of 10 swinging bells were supplied to French Canada by the Whitechapel bellfoundry of England, as follows:
MONTRÉAL - ND : CANADA - QU 1843 chime Notre-Dame Basilica MONTRÉAL - STPA : CANADA - QU 1908+ chime St.Patrick's BasilicaThese have long been included in lists maintained by change ringers, with a description of "unringable", thus implying that they were once ringable, i.e., both hung and used for change-ringing. However, there seems to be no evidence that such was actually the case. In view of the French Canadian propensity for swinging large numbers of bells (see for example the many large "swinging chimes" in Québecois churches), it seems more likely that Whitechapel simply supplied these bells with standard English fittings but that the French Canadians neither hung nor used them in the English manner. Therefore they are not included in the total count stated on this page
20th century - 33 installations (33 currently ringable)
BOSTON - CA : USA - MA 1901 * Church of the Advent (Episcopal) * cast 1900, hung 1901, rehung 1914, rehung 1976 GROTON : USA - MA 1901 * St.John's Chapel Groton School * enlarged from 8 to 10 in 1961 VANCOUVER - HR : CANADA - BC 1906 * Holy Rosary Cathedral * first 3 bells installed in 1900 WATERTOWN - PIB : USA - MA 1912 Perkins Institute for the Blind HINGHAM : USA - MA 1912 Hingham Memorial Bell Tower KENT : USA - CT 1931 St.Joseph's Chapel Kent School VICTORIA - CCC : CANADA - BC 1935 * Christ Church Cathedral * enlarged from 8 to 10 in 1983 MISSION CITY : CANADA - BC 1951 * Pfitzer Memorial Bell Tower Westminster Abbey (St.Joseph's) * cast in 1951 but not installed until 1956 CALGARY - CH : CANADA - AB 1957 * Christ Church, Elbow Park * cast 1952 & 1956 WASHINGTON - NC/2 : USA - DC 1964 National Cathedral NORTHAMPTON - 2 : USA - MA 1968 Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts Smith College HOUSTON - STT : USA - TX 1971 St.Thomas Episcopal ChurchThe NAGCR was organized in 1972. Only about 10 of the 22 installations existing at that time were actually ringable. Most of the rest have since been restored, as indicated above.
BREWSTER : USA - NY 1973 St.Cuthbert's Chapel Melrose School (Episcopal) New Castle : USA - DE 1973* Immanuel Episcopal Church * recast in 1981 WASHINGTON - PO : USA - DC 1976 Old Post Office Tower Nancy Hanks Center HENDERSONVILLE : USA - NC 1978 St.James' Episcopal Church PHILADELPHIA - STMTF/2 : USA - PA 1980 Church of St.Martin-in-the-Fields ABILENE - CHR : USA - TX 1982 Church of the Heavenly Rest (Episcopal) [non-traditional carillon with 6 bells hung for change-ringing] KALAMAZOO - KC : USA - MI 1983 Stetson Chapel Kalamazoo College MIAMI - T : USA - FL 1984 Trinity Episcopal Cathedral TEXARKANA : USA - AR 1984 First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) LITTLE ROCK - TEC : USA - AR 1988 Trinity Episcopal Cathedral HONOLULU - STA : USA - HI 1991 * St.Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral * bells cast in 1812, retuned for installation here RIVERSIDE : USA - IL 1991 * St.Paul's Church (Episcopal) * bells of various earlier dates RALEIGH - C : USA - NC 1992 * Christ Episcopal Church * 3 of the present bells are from the ring of 5 installed here in 1987 Princess Anne : USA - MD 1993 St.Andrew's Episcopal Church MARIETTA - STJ : USA - GA 1995 St.James' Episcopal Church SULLIVAN'S ISLAND : USA - SC 1995 Stella Maris RC Church TORONTO - STJA/2 : CANADA - ON 1996 * The Bells of Old York St.James Cathedral * 8 bells cast in 1828, augmented in 1996 for this new installation CHARLESTON - G : USA - SC 1999 * Grace Episcopal Church * bells cast in 1883, retuned for installation here ATLANTA - STL : USA - GA 2000 St.Luke's Episcopal Church21st century - 16 installations (15 currently ringable)
Carmel - PG : USA - IN 2001 mini Graupner residence CHARLESTON - LP : USA - SC 2001 Cathedral Church of St.Luke & St.Paul (Episcopal) HOUSTON - STP/2 : USA - TX 2001 St.Paul's United Methodist Church PITTSBURGH - SPC : USA - PA 2002 Southminster Presbyterian Church Dallas - STJ : USA - TX 2003* St.James Episcopal Church * first 3 installed in 1995 AUGUSTA - GS : USA - GA 2004 Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal) FREDERICK - C : USA - MD 2004 Calvary United Methodist Church SEWANEE - 2 : USA - TN 2004 Bentley Bells Breslin Tower Convocation Hall The University of the South HOUSTON - PM/2 : USA - TX 2005 Lower belfry Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church BIRMINGHAM - STP : USA - AL 2006 Family Life Center Cathedral of St.Paul (RC) NEW YORK - TC/2 : USA - NY 2006 Trinity Parish Church (Episcopal) See also TC/1, above. SEATTLE - UW/2 : USA - WA 2008 The Gordon Stuart Peek Foundation Memorial Bells Gerberding Hall University of Washington ORLEANS : USA - MA 2009 Church of The Transfiguration The Community of Jesus (Benedictine) SHREVEPORT - STM : USA - LA 2009 chime/ring St.Mark's Episcopal Cathedral (was St.Mark's Church until 1991) ALEXANDRIA : USA - VA 2014* Immanuel Chapel Virginia Theological Seminary * installed 2014; dedicated in 2015 ROCHESTER - A : USA - NY 2015 Church of the Ascension (Episcopal) RUTHER GLEN - 1 : USA - VA 2021? B. A. Sunderlin Bell Foundry NASHOTAH : USA - WI 2021+? Nashotah House Theological Seminary CHICAGO - MT/2 : USA - IL 2023 Mitchell Tower University of Chicago
Others: f s e S S VS S S
Twelves: W W
Tens: T T T T T T T 1
Octaves: E E E E E E e E E E 3 E E E E 3 5 4 9 2
Enlarged: - - + -+ +
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1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
century - 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0
decade - 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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Counts: 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 0 2 0 2 2 5 7 7 12 2 1
Notes:
For current counts of each size, see the index by size.
Return to Indexes to rings in North America.
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This index page was built from the database on 31-Dec-99 and last revised on 24-Jul-23.
Please send comments or questions about this page to csz_stl@swbell.net.