Children's Chimes

*Location:

   First Congregational Church (UCC)
   Bellview Street at Broadway
   Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA
   LL: N 42.11187, W 86.45134

Site locator map

*Player:

   (unknown)

*Contact:

   The Legacy Group of Benton Harbor
   292 Bellview
   Benton Harbor, MI  49022-4698
   T: 269-769-3020
   E: michaelhoyh@hotmail.com

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   The original chime commemmorated three
   children who died of diphtheria in
   the same week of 1918; added semitone
   was flat 7th.  Swinging tenor on top
   of frame.  Church closed in 2007, but
   has since been repurposed.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard chime of 15 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
   Transposition is unknown
   Keyboard range:     ----  /    ----  
   The arrangement of tones and semitones is unknown.
   The instrument was enlarged in 1927
     with bells made by Meneely/Troy 
   Prior history:
     In 1920, the instrument was begun with 10 bells
       by Meneely/Troy
       Pitch of heaviest bell was F  in the middle octave
       Transposition was nil (concert pitch)
       Keyboard range was:     F G   /    ----  
       There was one added semitone
   Auxiliary mechanisms: nW1   
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 1927

The former churchWebsite (abandoned when the church closed in 2007) has a sketch of the building and tower on the home page.  In the Music section, there is a very interesting page about the original chime, scanned from the original dedication program booklet; but there is no information about the expansion a few years later.

The Facebook presence of The Legacy Group of Benton Harbor includes a video (4:00) in the belfry; also a large photo of the frame and bells. Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meneely (Troy) bellfoundry.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meneely (Troy) 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.

Index to all tower bell instruments in MI.

   This page was built from the database on  9-Feb-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2024/02/07
   and on technical data last updated on 1992/01/07