Meneely Bell Foundry


There were two Meneely bell founderies, based on either side of the Hudson River in New York state.
The first Meneely bell foundry was established in 1826 in West Troy, New York, by Andrew Meneely, a former apprentice in the foundry of Benjamin Hanks. Two of Andrew's sons continued to operate the foundry after his death, and it remained a family operation until its closure.
The second Meneely bell foundry was established in 1870 by a third son, Clinton H. Meneely, across the river in Troy, New York. Initially he was in partnership with George H. Kimberly, under the name Meneely & Kimberly; this second foundry was reorganized in 1879 as the Clinton H. Meneely Bell Company, then later as the Meneely Bell Company. Like its related competitor, it remained a family operation until its closure.
The two foundries competed vigorously with each other. Together, they produced about 65,000 bells before they both closed in 1952.

Locations of bells from the "First Meneely Bell Foundry"

List of known locations of Meneely foundries bells from the First Meneely Foundry :
in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

United States

New York

New Jersey

Canada

List of known locations of Meneely foundries bells from the Second Meneely Foundry :

United States

New Jersey

The Presbyterian Church at Bound Brook, Bound Brook, New Jersey. Bell is stamped, "Presented to The Presbyterian Church of Bound Brook, A.D. 1909, In Memory of, Louisa Davis Negus, by Her
Husband". Marked on back "Meneely Bell Co., Troy, N.Y.".

New York



Canada

Jesu + Marie + Joseph + P. Cosse m'a fait, - Michelin 1723. In 1870 Je fus retire des ruines d'une Eglise d'un Ancien Village Acadien I.P.E. En 1882 les paroisieus de Rollo Bay me firent refondre par Meneely et Cie de West Troy N.Y. en souvenir de leurs ancetrees de L'Acadie
Translated, this reads as:
Jesus + Mary + Joseph P. Cosse made me, - Michelin 1723. In 1870 I was removed from the ruins of a Church of an Ancient Acadian Village in PEI. In 1882 the parishes of Rollo Bay had me recast by Meneely & Company, West Troy, N.Y. in memory of their Acadian ancestors.

Other international locations

The Columbian Liberty Bell

The Columbian Liberty Bell was cast by Clinton H. Meneely's foundry for display at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The bell disappeared while on tour in Europe.

Saint Anthony's Church Bell, Prague, Czech Republic

The Meneely bell that hangs in St Anthony's Church in Prague was purchased by the Mid-European Union in October 1918 to commemorate the independence of Czechoslovakia after World War I and donated to the group's president, Thomas Masaryk, who became the head of the country's provisional government and, in 1920, the Czechoslovak president. The bell cost $2,000 and weighed 2,542 pounds.