Phillips Chime

*Location:

   Arlington Street Church
     (Unitarian-Universalist)
   Boylston and Arlington Streets
   Boston, Massachusetts, USA
   LL: N 42.35203, W 71.07100

Site locator map

*Player:

   George G. Whitehouse
   Off West Road
   Wellfleet, MA  02267
   H: (508)349-7767   W: (508)491-1678
   - and -
   Ivan Bath

*Contact:

   Arlington Street Church
   351 Boylston Street
   Boston, MA  02116-3399
   T: (617)536-7050   F: (617)536-7051
   E: office@ascboston.org

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   Bells by Henry N. Hooper & Co.
   Reports of 18 bells are incorrect.
   Added semitones sharp 4th & its octave,
   flat 6th & flat 7th.
   Not known when original chimestand was
   removed; now played by a crude
   taut-rope system with ropes tied to
   a window sill.

*Technical data:

   Chime with Ellacombe stand of 16 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D  in the middle octave
   Transposition is down 5 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     G D   /    NONE  
   There are four added semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 1862
     with bells made by Hooper/Blake
   Prior history:
     In 1860, the instrument was begun with 15 bells
       made by Hooper/Blake
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2001

Additional information on the technical history of this instrument can be found in a database printout.

The church Website includes a description of the chime, which lists the relative pitches and inscriptions of 16 bells.

More photos of the tower can be found here (three clickable thumbnails in the last full row near the bottom).

Building description from Emporis Buildings (no photos as of Aug.'07)
(Also see our Emporis Advice.)

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Hooper/Blake bellfoundry.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Hooper/Blake bellfoundry.

Ranking among all North American chimes by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American chimes by weight (pitch).
Ranking among all North American chimes by year of completion.

Why this chime was a milestone in North American chime history (1860).

Index to all tower bell instruments in MA.

   This page was built from the database on 30-Jan-22
   based on textual data last updated on 2022/01/08
   and on technical data last updated on 2022/01/08