Home / VOL. VII NO. 11 05/15/2026 / Children’s Chimes Tower, Stockbridge, Mass

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Children’s Chimes Tower, Stockbridge, Mass

 The Children’s Chime Tower was built on the site of the original church in Stockbridge, which stood here from 1739 until 1785. The church was established by John Sergeant, a missionary who moved here to convert the Mahican people to Christianity. He served here until his death in 1749, and he was replaced by Jonathan Edwards, the former Northampton pastor and prominent theologian who helped influence the First Great Awakening. Edwards was here until 1758, when he became the president of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University.

The present church building was built in 1824 during the pastorate of David Dudley Field, who served here from 1819 to 1837. He and his wife Submit raised their nine children here, four of whom became prominent figures in American history. 

The Children’s Chimes bell tower in front of the church was built in 1878 by David Dudley Field II, in honor of his grandchildren, with the intention that, “It will be a memorial of those who are enshrined in my heart, while the ringing of the chimes at sunset I trust will give pleasure to all whose good fortune is to live in this peaceful valley.” Today on its 200th anniversary it is still rung, according to his wishes, every evening at 5:30 between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The Tower includes 10 original chimes (F to A1 with Eb and Bb), the eleventh one was installed in 1975. Renovations of the tower were made in 1973 and a complete 200th anniversary over hall with new ropes and levers was completed in 2023. The tower has been closed for structural repair since the fall of 2024 but will reopen every day from May 25 to August 2, 2026. 

The ringing of the chimes will begin on Memorial Day 5/25/2026 and end on August 2nd. If you are here then and have questions or have a child who wants to play the chimes, please wait until 6:00pm when the door is opened, and someone will be out to talk to you.

Children are invited to play the chimes from 1:15-2:15 on Memorial Day and then again three more times on special Saturdays during the summer TBD. For a schedule or more information please contact 

               Andrea Goodman at satbchoiur@yahoo.cob

Phot by Lionel Delevingne – On A Roll

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