*Location:

   Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower
   Courthouse Square
   Lincolnway at North Wilson Street
   Jefferson, Iowa, USA
   LL: N 42.01550, W 94.37461

Site locator map

*Player:

   (unknown)

*Contact:

   Mahanay Bell Tower Community Foundation
   Jefferson Municipal Center
   220 North Chestnut
   Jefferson, IA  50129-1900
   T: 515-386-2155
   Carole Custer, President
   T: 515-370-0009
   E: custer@netins.net
   - or -
   City of Jefferson
   T: 515-386-3111   F: 515-386-4671
   E: cjeff@netins.net
   - or -
   Office of the County Engineer
   T: 515-386-5650   F: 515-386-1217
   E: engineer@co.greene.ia.us

*Schedule:

   Cambridge (Westminster) quarters, with
   hour strike at 5th, 8am-8pm daily;
   autoplay at 7 minutes past each hour.
   Live play 1215-30 Wed when tower open.
   Tower open daily 10am-4pm, Memorial Day
   to Labor Day plus weekends in May
   and September; admission fee.  Other
   times by appointment (T: 515-386-2155).

*Remarks:

   First 4 bells (basses for Westminster
   quarters) installed early 1966, next
   10 in late 1966; original added semi-
   tones were sharp 4th & flat 7th.
   Expansion to 4 octaves, with tradi-
   tional keyboard, was once envisioned;
   15 (including treble octave) were cast
   by P&F in 1993 but not installed; on
   display in county courthouse.
   Eijsbouts cast remaining 18 in 2017.
   Keyboard & controls on lobby mezzanine.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard carillon of 47 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is C  in the middle octave
   Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
   Keyboard range:     C C   /    ----  
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 2017
     with 18 bells made by Eijsbouts   
   Prior history:
     In 1993, the instrument was enlarged to 14 bells
       by Petit & Fritsen
       (15 additional bells were acquired but not installed)
     In 1966, the complete instrument of 14 bells was installed
       with bells made by Petit & Fritsen
   Auxiliary mechanisms: EQ4H  
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                  5 meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:   48 meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells:  50 meters above ground
     Belfry openness:  99%
   Year of latest technical information source is 2017

Additional information on the technical history of this instrument can be found in a database printout.

The city Website has a photo of the tower top and a long description on its home page.

A short news article (23 Jan 2021) has a telephoto image showing how the bells are arranged at the top of the tower.

A local tourism page about the tower has a photo gallery including installation of the last bells.

A new interpretive sign was installed in Aug.2020.

A Waymarking page for these bells has 4 photos.

The tower Website reflects that the expansion to 4 octaves was completed May 2017, and lists all of the donors.

A news article (Apr'20) reported plans to play Easter music for a community sing-along.  With a misty photo of the tower.

Photo of tower, with quotes from Tim Verdin
News article with video including drone photos of tower top as bells are being installed on a new (or modified?) frame.
Slideshow of work in progress

News article (26My'17) on imminent installation of 27 new bells.  (But the numbers of new and existing bells don't add up correctly!)

News article (2016) on expected expansion to 47 bells; with large photo of the tower (bells barely visible).

A local news article (Feb.2014) reports the status of the bell frame, with two photos of bells & mechanisms.
Another article on the need for work here

A long page about Greene County includes a very good photo of the top of the tower.

Stock photo of the tower

About the Bell Tower Community Foundation

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Eijsbouts bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all North American non-traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American non-traditional carillons by weight (pitch).
Ranking among all North American non-traditional carillons by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in IA.

   This page was built from the database on 23-Jul-23
   based on textual data last updated on 2023/07/21
   and on technical data last updated on 2023/07/21