Manchester U. Restoring Chimes For 100th Anniversary
April 22, 2021 at 11:14 p.m.
By Jackie [email protected]
While there is no definitive date as when the chimes will be removed, the goal is early June when students have left campus, said Melanie B. Harmon, vice president for advancement at Manchester.
The chimes are located in the administration building, which has been vacant since 2019 for safety reasons.
In 1920, alumni decided to raise funds to purchase a 10-bell chime, estimated to cost $10,000. The bells arrived on campus on Aug. 9, 1922, according to information provided by Harmon.
“The administration building has been closed since 2019 and with the uncertainty of its future, we want to be sure that one of the longest-standing traditions on campus doesn’t stop and that is the ringing of the chime,” Harmon said.
The chimes are rung at the beginning and end of the day when classes are in session.
“Thanks to the generosity of donors, we are able to build a new free-standing chime tower and restore the existing 10 bells,” she said.
The bells will be restored and the plan is to start the construction for a new chime tower in spring 2022 for a completion and dedication date in fall 2022, she said. The new tower will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the chime. There is no date set yet for the dedication.
“We value our history and traditions at Manchester! Investing in the restoration of the chime allows us to honor a long-standing tradition at Manchester,” Harmon said.
There are plans to try to expand the current 10 bells to 14, Harmon said. With 10 bells, she said the song selection Manchester University is able to play on the chimes is limited. If the four bells are added, it will allow the university to play pretty much any musical piece.
The total cost to get the additional four chimes is $38,000. Harmon said the university is trying to raise the money to pay for the chimes if any donors are interested in donating money toward the chimes.
While there is no definitive date as when the chimes will be removed, the goal is early June when students have left campus, said Melanie B. Harmon, vice president for advancement at Manchester.
The chimes are located in the administration building, which has been vacant since 2019 for safety reasons.
In 1920, alumni decided to raise funds to purchase a 10-bell chime, estimated to cost $10,000. The bells arrived on campus on Aug. 9, 1922, according to information provided by Harmon.
“The administration building has been closed since 2019 and with the uncertainty of its future, we want to be sure that one of the longest-standing traditions on campus doesn’t stop and that is the ringing of the chime,” Harmon said.
The chimes are rung at the beginning and end of the day when classes are in session.
“Thanks to the generosity of donors, we are able to build a new free-standing chime tower and restore the existing 10 bells,” she said.
The bells will be restored and the plan is to start the construction for a new chime tower in spring 2022 for a completion and dedication date in fall 2022, she said. The new tower will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the chime. There is no date set yet for the dedication.
“We value our history and traditions at Manchester! Investing in the restoration of the chime allows us to honor a long-standing tradition at Manchester,” Harmon said.
There are plans to try to expand the current 10 bells to 14, Harmon said. With 10 bells, she said the song selection Manchester University is able to play on the chimes is limited. If the four bells are added, it will allow the university to play pretty much any musical piece.
The total cost to get the additional four chimes is $38,000. Harmon said the university is trying to raise the money to pay for the chimes if any donors are interested in donating money toward the chimes.
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