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Century Tower (University of Florida)
Encyclopedia
The Century Tower is a 157 feet (47.9 m) carillon
tower in the center of the University of Florida
campus in Gainesville
, Florida
.
Begun in 1953 by the Auchter Company
to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of UF's parent institution, Kingsbury Academy in Ocala
, it also serves as a memorial for students and alumni who perished in both World War I
and World War II
.. It fulfilled the original campus design of the university's first architect, William Augustus Edwards
, which called for a Gothic bell tower as the focal point. However, at the time of its completion in 1956, there was no money to buy bells for the carillon. An electronic bell system was given by J.E. Davis and A.D. Davis, two of the Davis Brothers who controlled Winn-Dixie
. This was used until it finally broke down in 1975. In 1976, $200,000 from accumulated student fees was used to buy the set of 49 bells. A Dutch bellfoundry, Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry
designed, fabricated and installed the carillon bells in 1979. In 2002 a major gift from the estate of Larry Allen Webb of St. Augustine, Florida, (a distant relative of President Dwight D. Eisenhower) made possible the addition of twelve treble bells (for a total of 61), revision of the carillon playing action, and provision of a complete studio practice clavier with sound samples from ten major carillons throughout the world. The Century Tower Carillon of sixty-one bells was completed in its present form and dedicated on September 11, 2003.
In 2008 the Century Tower became a contributing property
in the University of Florida Campus Historic District
which was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on April 20, 1989.
Perhaps due to the fact that Century Tower was built soon after the university became co-ed, an old school joke states that every time a virgin graduates from UF, a brick falls off the tower.
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
tower in the center of the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
campus in Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Begun in 1953 by the Auchter Company
to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of UF's parent institution, Kingsbury Academy in Ocala
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
, it also serves as a memorial for students and alumni who perished in both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.. It fulfilled the original campus design of the university's first architect, William Augustus Edwards
William Augustus Edwards
William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards, was an Atlanta-based American architect renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he designed in Florida, Georgia and his native South Carolina.- Early life and education :William...
, which called for a Gothic bell tower as the focal point. However, at the time of its completion in 1956, there was no money to buy bells for the carillon. An electronic bell system was given by J.E. Davis and A.D. Davis, two of the Davis Brothers who controlled Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Jacksonville, Florida. Winn-Dixie has ranked number 24 in the 2010 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2009 fiscal year estimated sales of $7.3 billion by Supermarket News. and was ranked the 43rd largest retailer in the...
. This was used until it finally broke down in 1975. In 1976, $200,000 from accumulated student fees was used to buy the set of 49 bells. A Dutch bellfoundry, Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry
Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry
Royal Eijsbouts is a bell foundry located in Asten, Netherlands.The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15 year old son, Johan, and the workshop expanded to begin supplying striking and swinging bells, which...
designed, fabricated and installed the carillon bells in 1979. In 2002 a major gift from the estate of Larry Allen Webb of St. Augustine, Florida, (a distant relative of President Dwight D. Eisenhower) made possible the addition of twelve treble bells (for a total of 61), revision of the carillon playing action, and provision of a complete studio practice clavier with sound samples from ten major carillons throughout the world. The Century Tower Carillon of sixty-one bells was completed in its present form and dedicated on September 11, 2003.
In 2008 the Century Tower became a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
in the University of Florida Campus Historic District
University of Florida Campus Historic District
The University of Florida Campus Historic District is a historic district on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The district, bounded by West University Avenue, Southwest 13th Street, Stadium Road and North-South Drive, encompasses approximately and contains 11 listed...
which was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 20, 1989.
Perhaps due to the fact that Century Tower was built soon after the university became co-ed, an old school joke states that every time a virgin graduates from UF, a brick falls off the tower.
About the carillon
- It has 61 bells and a range span of 5 octaves.
- The entire carillon weighs 57760 pounds (26,199.5 kg).
- The smallest bell in Century Tower plays a high C, weighs 26 pounds (11.8 kg) and has a diameter of 7+1/8 in.
- The largest bell, called the Bourdon bell, plays a low A-sharp. It is 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, weighs about 7000 pounds (3,175.1 kg) and is 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) in diameter.
- The carillon chimes each quarter of the hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The tune that is played, "Florida Chimes", was written by Dr. Budd Udell, former Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Florida.
- Students at the universityUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
can take a carillon class, where they are required to climb the 194 steps in Century Tower to play the bells for a grade. - The carillon is played using 61 keys (or “batons”) for the hands and 25 pedals for the feet. The musician sits in a small room just below the bell chamber.
- There are fewer than 200 carillons in North America and only four in Florida.
See also
- University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
- Buildings at the University of FloridaBuildings at the University of FloridaThe University of Florida is a flagship university in the State University System of Florida and has many notable buildings located in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando and throughout Florida. The Campus Historic District at the University of Florida comprises 32 contributing properties that are...
- Campus Historic DistrictUniversity of Florida Campus Historic DistrictThe University of Florida Campus Historic District is a historic district on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The district, bounded by West University Avenue, Southwest 13th Street, Stadium Road and North-South Drive, encompasses approximately and contains 11 listed...