The hourly chiming of the Main School Building is a relic of Deerfield’s past and a trademark of its present. But what is the story behind the iconic bell?
One of the first references to the bell is in a Scroll article mentioning the raising of the bell in 1931. Since 1931, it has continued to ring every hour (albeit one minute and 20 seconds late). After its first appearance in 1931, it has gone through various changes that have made it what it is today. But how is it rung, what is its history, and what does it look like inside?
In 1929, Dickinson Hall was torn to the ground by students in order to make room for the current Main School Building. Archival footage published by the Academy shows students pulling a rope that tore down the old brick building. In 1931, the present day Main School Building was constructed. Once construction was finished, classes were suspended so students could view the new bell being hoisted into place. The bell, designed by Meneely Bell Foundries — a bell company that was later dissolved in 1954 — was a gift by two of the Meneely brothers in honor of the Boydens. It was struck in time with an electric clock, and it weighed eight-hundred pounds and had a predecessor of around two-hundred pounds. A later Scroll article from 1961 stated that the bell was mechanically run by Deerfield resident Charles Huntington Smith and his two cats, and people joked that Deerfield ran on “Smith Standard” time.
Since the first bell was installed, it has gone through various changes.
For example, the clock malfunctioned during Choate Weekend 1963, and was fixed shortly after. It was repaired a second time in 1991 using funds from the Memorial Fund for JJ Stokes. Stokes, a tri-sport athlete and band member from Gary, Indiana, drowned in the Deerfield river his senior year. His classmates refurbished the bell and another clock in front of the Main School Building in his honor. Since then, the bell has remained a constant part of the Deerfield community, signaling each hour spent in the Valley.