Meneely Bell Foundry

The first Meneely bell foundry was established in 1826 in West Troy (now Watervliet), 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 (and sometimes bitterly) with each other, and their products should not be confused. Together, they produced about 65,000 bells before they both closed in 1952.

Bell locations

Below is a sample of locations where bells from one or the other of the Meneely bell foundries can be seen and heard: