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The bell tower

An 1884 E. Howard & Co. pendulum clock and a Troy-cast bell, both still working — and both still wound by somebody climbing a ladder.

Still keeping time

A mechanical marvel, wound by hand

To the surprise of many, the mechanical clock and bell in the tower at Rupert Methodist are fully functional.

The mechanism is a pendulum clock. To wind it, you climb through a warren of steps, ladders and narrow walkways up to the bell tower. There are actually two sets of mechanics and weights — one for the clock and one for the bell. Each is wound separately and, once wound, runs for eight days, with the pendulum and weights moving with a slow grace.

The bell was cast in Troy, New York by the Jones Troy Bell Foundry Company in 1884, and when rung, its full tone carries throughout Rupert. Originally designed to ring each hour, today it is rung only on special occasions, by a long rope that drops to the bell tower entryway.

The original 1884 instructions from E. Howard & Company, maker of the clock systems, are still mounted in the tower. They explain how to wind the clock, oil it for maintenance, and adjust it to keep the correct time.

The weathered green-bronze bell hanging in the timber tower frame, seen from below.
The bell, cast in 1884 and still rung on special occasions.

Up the ladder

The cast-iron clock movement in the tower, with brass bearings, gear trains and the winding drum below.
The clock movement: cast-iron frame, brass bearings and hand-cut gear trains, still turning after 140 years.
The framed 1884 card headed 'Directions for the Care of a Tower Clock', printed by E. Howard & Co. of Boston, Mass.
The original E. Howard & Co. card, “Directions for the Care of a Tower Clock”, still mounted where the winder can read it.
The bell's bronze surface with the raised inscription 'The Jones Troy Bell Foundry Company, Troy, N.Y. 1884'.
Cast into the bronze: “The Jones Troy Bell Foundry Company, Troy, N.Y. 1884.”

Next: our 1884 pipe organ

Hear the bell for yourself.

We ring it on special occasions — and we worship every Sunday at 8:45 AM, in the sanctuary and on Zoom.

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