U.S. Tubular Bells

U. S. Tubular Bell Company

Methuen, Massachusetts, USA; 1893?-1918?

The United States Tubular Bell Company was one of several commercial ventures by Edward F. Searles. Together with the Methuen Organ Company, another of Searles' holdings, the United States Tubular Bell Company occupied a wooden factory building on the north bank of the Spicket River, originally built as a woolen mill. This building was destroyed in June, 1943 by a general alarm fire which fortunately did not damage the nearby Serlo Organ Hall (now the Methuen Memorial Music Hall).

Walter H. Durfee was president of this firm, which sold tubular tower chimes to churches and universities throughout the country. Unfortunately, no list of its customers has yet been found, though other evidence confirms its existence in 1894-6, at least. A few such chimes are known to bear a U.S.Tubular nameplate, and several others are presently attributed to this firm. Eventually the company was sold to Deagan (see below); the year of that sale is not yet known, though it may reasonably be presumed to have been about the time that Deagan began making tubular tower chimes in 1916.

For a contemporary newspaper article about one of this company's chimes, click here.

For an index to pages about all the known chimes by the U.S. Tubular Bell Company, click here.

Links to sites with small tower chimes (fewer than 8 notes) by the U.S. Tubular Bell Company:

•Vatican City, unknown size and date; at a cost of $1000.00. It is not known whether this was for The Holy See itself, or for some other structure within the Vatican City (see map).

•Windham, NH, Searles Castle, 6-tube clock chime of unknown date; another view and description; a different view; the courtyard tower; an illustrated tourist article.

From Tubular Bells website

http://home.swbell.net/csz_stl/towerbells/TubularBells.html#UST

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