The bells for the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower will begin to be installed on Thursday, May 25 in Jefferson.  The large crane was set in place on Wednesday morning with paint and electrical work completed.  The fifteen smaller bells that have been housed in the Greene County Courthouse for about 20 years were returned from the Verdin Company in Cincinnati, Ohio on Wednesday engraved with the donor names and fitted with strikers.  The remainder of the bells to complete the four octave, 47 bell carillon will arrive on Thursday morning and the installation will begin.  This process could take up to three days but the goal is to have everything in place by May 31.

Beta Tau Delta is celebrating its 100th anniversary in a big way, paying for the elevator to the top of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower for all persons 18 and younger for the coming year. The group presented a check Monday to the Bell Tower Community Foundation to cover that cost.

Local children have always been the beneficiaries of Beta Tau Delta’s fundraising efforts, and according to Beta Tau Delta president Darla Johnson, the group decided to increase donations rather than spend money to celebrate themselves.

Pat Richards, volunteer supervisor of the bell tower, said she hosted 50 preschoolers at the tower last week, with their visit made possible by the Betas’ donation. “They probably would never have the chance to be in such a unique structure. Free admission for children is quite a positive thing for grandparents, parents, and teachers,” she said.

from GreeneCountyNewsOnline

A third installation of rooftop art was installed in May, 2017 by the Tower View Team members.   The committee painted four quilt designs on large sheets of  aluminum and adhered them to the roof of a building in the downtown square.  This piece is entitled “Patches of Greene” with each quilt design depicting an important aspect of Greene County: Railroad Crossing, Antique Tile, Card Trick & Whirling Windmill.

The second art installation in June of 2016 was hand-painted by local artist Nicole Bennett-Tuel on the roof of her studio, Prairie Blue.  Her piece is called “Wild Woman on the Roof”.  You need to see it to decide if you think this woman is really wild or not.

The first rooftop art was installed in June of 2015 on the roof of Skeeter Creek Fabricators Art & Antiques.  Stephanie Hammond doodled these three pieces and they were printed on sheets of aluminum.  Ogren’s Graphics printed and adhered these pieces to the rooftop.

Bring your family to visit the Mahanay Tower and see all three of the art installations.

The Mahanay Bell Tower staff welcomes visitors to the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower whether it is for a short stop or a long weekend stay.

Hours are weekends in May, September & October on Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 4pm.

The summer season begins on Memorial Day with the Mahanay Tower open daily from 10 am – 4 p.m. through Labor Day.

Tours are always available by appointment by calling the Greene County Chamber of Commerce at 515-386-2155.

Admission is $3 for adults and free for kids 18 yrs. and under courtesy of Beta Tau Delta.