Bowen-Tilton Memorial Carillon

*Location:

   Goddard Chapel
   Tufts University
   (formerly Tufts College)
   3 The Green
   Professors Row at Latin Way
   Medford, Massachusetts, USA
   LL: N 42.40707, W 71.11963

Site locator map

*Player:

   Suzanne Cartreine, Music Director
   E: suzanne.cartreine@tufts.edu

   Chaplain Wm. (Scotty) McLennan
   Timothy Nelson, Music Director

*Contact:

   Chaplaincy
   Goddard Chapel
   Tufts University
   Medford, MA  02155
   T: 617-627-3427
   E: chaplaincymusic@tufts.edu

*Schedule:

   Autoplay daily at 5pm

*Remarks:

   One Meneely/Troy bell (probably the
   third-largest) installed 1908.  Original
   added semitone was flat 7th; chimestand
   was the first from Troy to have metal
   connections at the chimestand instead
   of leather straps.  Swinging bell added
   1950, possibly not part of the chime.
   Addition of 1964 was in memory of Tufts
   Vice President John Tilton.  Unknown
   whether chimestand remains in tower.
   Electric keyboard next to organ console
   since 1964.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard carillon of 25 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is F  in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     ----  /    ----  
   Transposition is unknown
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 1965
     with bells made by Petit & Fritsen
   Prior history:
     In 1926, the instrument was begun with 10 bells
       by Meneely/Troy    
       There was one added semitone
   Auxiliary mechanisms: E     
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2021

The Tufts University Website has virtually no information about the carillon.  A superb interactive campus map shows clearly the location of the chapel.  A "tour" of the chapel (actually an illustrated history) mentions the tower, and has a photo of a bell added in 1950, but otherwise says nothing about these bells.  A brief news article (Nov.2001) does tell about the bells and their history.  Another news article (Jan.2026) has a photo of the tower chime, a gift of Eugene Bowen, class of 1876.

A University Chaplaincy page does describe the carillon.  It opens with a 1948 photo of a player at the chimestand.  Notice the shape of the keys!  Today's electric keyboard also enables recording.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meneely (Troy) bellfoundry.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

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

Index to all tower bell instruments in MA.

   This page was built from the database on 27-May-26
   based on textual data last updated on 2026/05/20
   and on technical data last updated on 2026/03/02