*Location:

   B.M.C. Durfee High School  [new]
   Elsbree Street at School Brook Road
   Fall River, Massachusetts, USA
   LL: N 41.71648, W 71.12640

Site locator map

*Former location (1990-2010):

   (in storage)

   B.M.C. Durfee High School  [old]
   between Rock and High Streets,
     Cherry and Locust Streets
   Fall River, Massachusetts, USA
   LL: N 41.70539, W 71.15172

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Jayson Newell   (A)
   T: 508-675-8100x41910
   E: bmcpianolab@icloud.com

*Contact:

   B.M.C. Durfee High School [new]
   360 Elsbree Street
   Fall River, MA  02720-7298
   T: 508-675-8100
   - or -
   Durfee Bells Preservation Society
   PO Box 9235
   Fall River, MA  02720-0004
   - or -
   John Freeman
   E: jafree33@aol.com

*Schedule:

   Hour strike, 8am to 7pm daily

*Remarks:

   Original added semitone is flat 7th.
   Old school closed in 1978, and was
   converted to a state courthouse in early
   1990s; bells removed during conversion.
   Smallest bell stolen c.1999.
   Aug.2004: 9 bells retuned at Meeks,
   Watson & Co.; replacement for stolen
   bell was cast to a Meneely pattern.
   Apr.2008: Tower site chosen.
   Spring 2010: Tower under construction
   on Elsbree Street, adjacent to ticket
   booth (for stadium?); will eventually
   (but not at first) contain chimestand
   at ground level.
   Nov.2010: Tower complete.
   Nov.2012: 12 bells installed; includes
   2 new trebles (one replacement,
   c.2004, and one addition cast 2012)
   plus an 1898 McShane bell tuned to fit
   as sharp 4th.
   Jul.2018: City to build new high
   school, displacing tower; bells go into
   storage for later installation in a
   belfry on new building.
   Nov.2018: Bells removed to storage at
   Sunderlin bellfoundry.
   May.2019: A second-hand Vanduzen chime-
   stand, modified for 14 notes, plus a
   14-note practice chimestand built by
   UMass Dartmouth engineering students
   is being sold to Sunderlin, who will
   supply new playing & practice consoles
   along with new bells.
   Mar.2021: Bells being installed

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 23 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
   Transposition is unknown
   Keyboard range:     ----  /    ----  
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The instrument was enlarged in 2021
     with  9 bells made by the maker cited in Remarks above
   Prior history:
     In 2015, the instrument was enlarged to 14 bells
       by Meeks,Watson
       (2 bells remain from that work.)
       There were two added semitones
     In 2011, the instrument was enlarged to 12 bells
       by Meeks,Watson
       (2 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     ----  /    NONE  
     In 2011, the bells were retuned
       by Meeks,Watson
       (9 bells remain from that work.)
       There was one added semitone
     In 1886, the instrument was begun with 10 bells
       by Meneely/Wvlt
       (9 bells remain from that work.)
   Auxiliary mechanisms: nE    
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2020

An opinion piece regarding these bells includes a photo looking into the belfry from below.

A news article (8Mar2021) reports the installation of the bells is occurring this week, but the photo of the building under construction unfortunately does not show the bell tower.

A news article (8Mar2021) on the installation of the bells includes a photo of them at the Sunderlin foundry, where the 9 newest are clearly distinguishable from the older bells.

A news article (Nov.2018) reports removal of the bells to storage.

A news article (Oct.2015) reports the installation of two new bells to the chime, and has a photo of one being prepared for lifting.

In a page about the school on the district Website, under Durfee News & Notes, there is a link to a PDF about the Durfee Bells Project.

On the Website of the Durfee Alumni, there are photos of the original building and its bell tower; "The Chimes" newsletter page links to the 2010 issue, which is a long PDF containing an article about the status of the project.  There is a page about the bells and their history, with a photo of the present tower.  A PDF of the dedication program booklet can be downloaded.

News article (text only) about the new tower - erected summer 2010, clocks installed Nov.2010 on each side of the tower, and are operational; wiring for bells is in place, and they will be installed at the end of summer 2012.

A news article about the history of the old Durfee HS and the plan to reinstall the bells.

The origin of the first B.M.C.Durfee High School building.

An old Visitor's Guide to Bristol County contains a more detailed description of the old building, and mentions the chime.

A Wikipedia article has two photos of the original building and its bell tower.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meneely (Watervliet) bellfoundry.
(Tuning of old bells is not an indexable phase of the work.)
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meeks & Watson bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meeks & Watson bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Sunderlin bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

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

Other small carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

Index to all traditional carillons in MA.

Index to all tower bell instruments in MA.

   This page was built from the database on  4-Nov-23
   based on textual data last updated on 2022/06/24
   and on technical data last updated on 2020/01/14