The four bells that will ring from the new Bell Tower at Rhodes Stadium will be delivered to campus in late August. Details...
The bells are being made by the van Bergen Bellfoundry, Charleston, S.C., and were cast in early July at the world famous bellfoundry of Paccard-Fonderie de Cloches, located in Annecy, France. The bellfoundry was established in 1796 and has produced more than 80,000 perfectly tuned bells which have been sent around the world. Every U.S. state capitol has a Liberty Bell replica cast by Paccard.
The four Elon bells are made of bronze and weigh from 998 pounds (largest bell) to 226 pounds (smallest). They are programmable and can ring four-tone tunes, using a computer that controls the strikers by remote control. The standard tune will be the Westminster Chimes, but other four-tone tunes can be programmed.
Each bell is inscribed with the words “Elon University 2001.” The largest bell is also inscribed with the phrase “Numen Lumen,” the next largest bell is inscribed with “Christian Church,” the third largest bell is inscribed with “The Phoenix,” and the smallest is inscribed with “Founded 1889.”
Installation of the bells will take place when they arrive on campus. The bells should be ready to be rung at the Sept. 15 inaugural game at Rhodes Stadium.