The historic bronze bell

The historic bronze bell that sits idle in the Lenox Library tower comes with historic significance and value to the Lenox community as the tolling of independent research and learning.

Lenox Library Executive Director Sharon Hawkes did some research and found that the bell was forged by Enos Doolittle of Hartford, Conn. In those days, the bell forger was also a silversmith and watch- and clockmaker.

Enos Doolittle (1751-1806) apprenticed with his uncle Isaac Doolittle, a silversmith in New Haven, CT..

Enos began his own business in Hartford beginning around 1772, forging bells for churches and other town buildings as early as 1787 if not before, and partnering with Jesse Goodyear after 1788.

The partnership was dissolved in 1791, but Enos continued under his own name, retiring in 1802. His son James continued the business until 1811.

According to Amy Lafave, music and reference librarian, it appears that the bell was originally hung in the first town hall, which had a bell tower on the site of today’s town hall. The building was subsequently moved to Housatonic and Church streets without the bell or the tower. In old pictures, one can see the tower on the historic building that served as town hall.

It is thought that the bell was removed and later placed in the courthouse, which is the forerunner of today’s library.

The bell was operative prior to the renovations of the library.

There were only about a half dozen people in New England doing this work in the 18th century, among them Paul Revere in Boston, acording to Ms. Hawkes.

Since silversmiths made bells on order, we speculate that this one was made for the first Lenox County Courthouse, built in 1791-2 (the bell’s date is 1792). Rather than buy a new bell (it is solid bronze), it would have been moved (from the original town hall) to its current location, most likely in 1816, when the new building was complete.

The building later became the library in 1874, after the county seat moved to Pittsfield and housed both the Charles Sedgwick Library and Reading Room and the Lenox Library Association until the whole enterprise was deeded over to Lenox Library Association in 1908.

In pictures in the library, one can see the old town hall in its original position and then later moved to Church Street and down to the corner of Church and Housatonic streets. Also one can see the back of the early Trinity Church before it moved to the intersection of Walker and Kemble streets.

Ms. Hawkes said, “We do not have a designated fund for the bell at this time; however, we do have a bit of history on the bell, based on its markings. The bell is marked, ‘1792, Enos Doolittle, Hartford, Connecticut.’

“I did get an approximate quote from the roofer that originally did the work on the bell: $1,000 to make the rigging work so it would ring, $2,000 to raise and re-hang it AND make it work,” Ms. Hawkes said.

Interestingly, the bell weighs 2,400 lbs., and given the amount of money to be raised ($2,000), it’s just less than a dollar a pound to hear the bell chime.

“This is beyond our capacity to fund, though one donor did come forward and might fund it in part. The selectmen wanted to know if we could ring it for the 250th anniversary, and I’m sure we can arrange a way — my facilities manager was up there and swung the clapper, and it still sounds great,” she noted.

Posted by George C. Jordan III on October 25, 2012. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry