It figures that if I’d trip across such a thing as a water tower that has, inexplicably, bells, there would be some kind of local connection. It appears that in 1902, a millionaire in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, wasn’t going to be pleased with the local water tower ruining his view, and so he commissioned something much, much more elaborate, now known as the Lawson Tower. And unlike any other water tower I’m aware of, it has bells. Bells from one of the most famous foundries of its day, the Meneely foundry of West Troy, NY. West Troy is now known as Watervliet. This photograph is from the Library of Congress, via the Historic American Buildings Survey. The bell carillon not only still exists, but was recently refurbished.
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