Old Main Bell

This bronze bell initially hung in the original Old Main, which was razed in 1929; and later its successor, which occupies the same site. Cast in 1871 by the Boston foundry of William Blake and Company, it weighs twelve hundred pounds. When it was installed in the old, Old Main is unclear, but records indicate the bell was in regular use by 1892, calling students to class, chapel and other activities. It was placed in the new Old Main’s tower in 1930, but no longer rang after the installation in 1937 of the Westminster chimes, which still peal today. The class of 2009 made a gift to have the bell removed, restored, and displayed as you see here.