Oliphant Memorial Chime

*Location:

   Pilgrim Congregational Church (UCC)
   Union Boulevard at Kensington Avenue
   St.Louis, Missouri, USA
   LL: N 38.65471, W 90.27286

   Washington Boulevard at Ewing Street

Site locator map

   Washington Boulevard at Ewing Street

*Player:

   (unknown)

*Contact:

   Music Director
   Pilgrim Congregational Church
   826 Union Boulevard
   St.Louis, MO  63108-1091
   T: 314-367-8173   F: 314-367-8174
   E: pilgrim826@sbcglobal.net

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   Gift of Dr.Robert W. Oliphant in memory
   of his wife (Sarah) & son (Robert H.).
   Added semitone is flat 7th.
   Chimestand disconnected in 1969
   electrification but remains in tower.
   Huge tower clock disused.
   Tenor formerly swung.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard (from organ) chime of 10 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     ----  /    NONE  
   Transposition is unknown
   There is one added semitone
   The present keyboard was installed in 1969
     by an unknown maker 
   Prior history:
     In 1876, the complete instrument of 10 bells was installed
       with bells made by Meneely/Troy    
       Keyboard range was:      D#F  /    NONE  
   Auxiliary mechanisms: nCnS1 
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2001

The church Website has a photo of the building on the home page, but says nothing about the bells.

A news article (24 Dec 1876) includes the complete memorial inscription on the swinging tenor, and points out that this was the first great chime on a Protestant church west of the Mississippi.

A different newspaper's article (the same day) has similar information.

A historical article has some information about the original building where the chime was installed.

FindAGrave memorial page for the donor, from which similar pages for his wife and son can be found.

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meneely (Troy) bellfoundry.

Ranking among all North American chimes by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American chimes by weight (pitch).
Ranking among all North American chimes by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in MO.

   This page was built from the database on 10-Mar-26
   based on textual data last updated on 2026/03/10
   and on technical data last updated on 2026/03/08