Fire Alarm Bell
Date1881
MediumBronze
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (circumference, weight): 78in., 8875lb. (198.1cm, 4025.7kg)
ClassificationsEquipment
Credit LineGift of the Board of Fire Commissioners, City of Hartford
Object number1931.14.0
Label TextFollowing the formal organization of the Hartford Fire Department in 1864, a central telegraph alarm system and fire alarm bell were installed in 1867. When the first bell cracked in 1881, it was sent to Jones & Co. Foundry in Troy, New York to be used in casting this replacement bell. This bell was hung in the tower at Pearl Street the same year and continued in use until its retirement in 1921. The 4 1/2-ton bell, rung by the means of a 100-lb. clapper, was audible across much of the city and was also used to ring time checks at noon, 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM daily. (The 9:00 PM alarm was skipped on Sundays.)
NotesHistorical Note: The bell was cast in 1881 from metal from the 1867 Hartford Fire Bell which cracked the same year. The bell hung in the tower of the fire headquarters at 43 Pearl Street, Hartford, Connecticut until it was retired in 1921.Status
On view
Beatrice Fox
Inseparable Object/Inseparable Object
