The sound of church bells
made in Troy daily circles the globe. Its waves flow from
thousands of belfires in America, and from others in Polynesia,
Australia, Japan, China, India, Armenia, Syria, Egypt, and
Africa. The first bell foundry established in Troy was built
in 1825 by Julius Hanks, on the lot now covered by the Gurley
Building, on the north-east corner of Fulton Street and
Fifth Avenue, where he continued casting bells until about
1840.
Jones & Hitchcock (Eber Jones and James H. Hitchcock),
who began casting bells in 1852, in the Peck Building, on
the north-west corner of First and Adams streets, and in
1854, in their foundry on the south-west corner, were succeeded,
in 1857 by Jones & Co. (Eber Jones and H. J. King; 1865,
Eber Jones, Sylvanus Birch, and Octavous Jones; 1867, Octavous
and Marcus R. Jones), and in 1873 by the Jones Bell Foundry
Company, which, in May, 1887, discontinued business.
The plant of the Clinton H. Meneely Bell Company, on the
east side of River Street, between Washington and Adams
streets, embraces a part of the buildings of the bell foundry
built in 1869 by Meneely & Kimberly (Clinton H. Meneely
and George H. Kimberly), which, on the dissolution of the
firm in 1879, became the property of the company. Of the
fifty thousand church bells cast in Troy since 1825, those
of the Clinton H. Meneely Bell Company have a quality of
excellence notably distinct and preeminent. Clear and sonorous
in sound, rich in tone, and forcible in vibration, they
have secured a precedence in public favor highly creditable
to the enterprise of the company. Since its organization,
on January 1st, 1880, it has not only annually cast large
numbers of single bells for churches in this country and
for foreign missionary stations, but also many chimes of
eight and nine bells, ranging severally in weight from four
hundred to seven thousand pounds.