The Meneely Bell Foundry was established in 1826 by Andrew Meneely, a former apprentice in the foundry of Julius Hanks, and became one of the largest and most acclaimed bell foundries in the country by 1836. Andrew Meneely, a silversmith by training and a chemist, mastered the mix of copper, tin, and molten heat to produce bells admired for their rich tones, elemental beauty, and functionality. The original factory produced clocks, engineering instruments, and bells, and more than 65,000 bells were cast under the Meneely brand between 1826 and 1951. After Andrew's death in 1851, his sons continued the family business for another 100 years, manufacturing church, academy, factory, depot, fire alarm, steamboat, ship, locomotive, plantation, fire engine, light house, chimola, carillon, and other bells. The foundry's reputation soon spread internationally, and its bells were shipped on barges and ships along the Erie Canal and the Hudson River near the foundry to destinations around the world. Foreign competition offering cheaper labor costs and cast iron bells, along with the unavailability of metals during World War II, contributed to the foundry's closing in 1951.
