The town of Norwood is poised to house the second largest carillon in the United States with the arrival and installation of a magnificent set of bells in the tower of the Norwood Memorial Municipal Building. With exterior scaffolding recently removed, heavy rigging equipment and a derrick have been erected to hoist the massive bells into their lofty position.

Crafted in Croydon, England, by the renowned firm Gillett and Johnson, the carillon is being installed under the supervision of firm representative A. A. Townsend, fresh off completing a similar installation at the Louvain library in Belgium before heading next to Kentucky. The contract for rigging and setting up the steel framework and bells has been awarded to the Minot Construction Company, the original builders of the municipal structure.

Superior Acoustic Design

The bells will be arranged in four distinct tiers, with the smallest positioned at the top. According to Townsend, the Norwood carillon is expected to boast superior musical qualities compared to any other set in the country. Because the municipal building tower was specifically engineered with the carillon’s eventual placement in mind, acoustic allowances and specialized facilities were integrated into its construction to greatly enhance the bells’ resonance and sound projection.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

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