The Memorial Day weekend of 2017 will be remembered for the installation of the long awaited four octave carillon.  Five bells were already in place and playing the Westminster Chimes since August of 2016.  The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio was the contractor to cast the 18 bells in Holland, put the strikers in all of the bells and transport to downtown Jefferson.  All of the bells were engraved with donor names or messages.  Those are all listed on this website.

Wade Weiss, Greene County Engineer, was the project manager overseeing this amazing project.  He coordinated the large crane used to hoist the bells to the top of the tower.  Verdin employees attached the bells throughout the weekend.  All was completed on Memorial Day.  A large number of residents and visitors enjoyed watching the show of raising the bells to the top.  Many remarked being there in 1966 when the first 14 bells were put in position.  This was history in the making!

The next step will be checking the entire carillon system to make sure all bells are in perfect working order.  The programed recordings of bell music will now be able to play the real bells.  Live Tower Tunes Concerts are being planned with local musicians providing the talent.  The daily concerts will also be recorded to play on the bells again.

The Bell Tower Community Foundation has worked with the Greene County Board of Supervisors and City of Jefferson to complete this goal of the four octave carillon in Jefferson.

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.

Word has been received that forty-two bells will be arriving in Jefferson on Wednesday, May 24 & Thursday May 25.  The first bells will arrive around 7 a.m. The large transporter from the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio will bring the bells directly to the downtown square.  Residents are encouraged to come out and enjoy this historic occasion.

Since August of 2016, there have been just five bells left in the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. Nine bells were taken down by a large crane and transported to the Verdin facility to have the strikers replaced.  These nine bells will be returned along with the remainder of the bells purchased by donors. The total of 47 bells will constitute a full four octave carillon.

The Verdin Company expects it will take quite a few days to hoist the bells to the top of the tower with a large crane.  Other electrical and roof work will be completed by the crew during this time, so the carillon is planned to be in working order by May 31.

The 2017 Mahanay Bell Tower staff is ready to greet visitors for the season.  Pat Richards begins her fourth year as tour guide coordinator.  Pat’s enthusiasm for the community is contagious, and she is a terrific ambassador for Greene County.  Her husband, Kevin Richards is often seen helping her with activities at the tower.  Kids know these two as Mr. & Mrs. Richards as they have both been long-time teachers in the school system.

John and Jane Rowland enjoy meeting the many visitors and pointing out the history of the community.  John is a retired social studies teacher from the Greene County schools and Jane retired from Power Lift in Jefferson.  They also love to welcome alumni back home.

Lynn and Rachel Gunderson have moved to Jefferson in recent years and enjoyed learning about the many businesses and activities of the area.  They welcome people to the tower and share their great impressions with the visitors.

Michele Hardin and Pam Thomsen are both recent retirees of the Greene County Community Schools.  Their outgoing personalities make visitors feel so comfortable as they share the history of the tower.

Shelly Berger begins her second year as a Tower tour guide.  Shelly retired from the Greene County Medical Center and has enjoyed meeting people in this new environment.  She and her husband are very involved in volunteer activities in the community.

Alan Robinson resides in Grand Junction and works part-time in Jefferson, helping out at the tower when he can.  Alan is a history buff and enjoys sharing his knowledge of the Tower and the area with visitors.