Bok Singing Tower

Bok Singing Tower

Links to Carillon Inventories
GCNA	Tower Bells	Bok Tower Gardens

Edward William Bok emigrated to America at the age of 7 and became the editor of the Ladies Home Journal, from which he retired in 1919. In 1926 Bok decided to build a bird sanctuary in Florida that would include a "Singing Tower" with a carillon. The 61 bells cast by the John Taylor Bell Foundry were first played on December 2, 1928 by Anton Brees and was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge on February 1, 1929.

The initial 61 bells played 48 notes, as the top 13 treble bells were doubled, which was common for Taylor instruments at the time. Ten Taylor bells were added in 1929 to play a total of 53 notes, with the top 18 treble bells doubled. The doubled trebles were disconnected in the late 1940s and removed in 1967, when the top 24 treble bells were recast. The carillon was expanded to 57 bells in 1987 and to 60 in 2000.

The instrument was originally installed in 1928 and was comprised of 61 bells, 48 notes (the top 13 treble bells were doubled). In 1929, it was expanded to 71 bells, 53 notes (the top 18 treble bells were doubled). All of the doubles were disconnected by the late 1940s. In 1967, the double treble bells were removed and the top 24 treble bells were recast. The instrument then had a total of 53 bells. In 1987, several bells were recast and the instrument was expanded to 57 bells. In 2000, three more treble bells were added, bringing the total to 60 bells. All of the work on the bells has been done by the John Taylor Bell Foundry.

References
1920 The Americanization of Edward Bok, by Edward Bok | also here |

1926 "Bok To Place Bells On Mountain Top To Start Music Shrine," The Tampa Tribune, May 23, 1926, Page 1.

1926 "Edward Bok's Carillon," The Miami News, June 2, 1926, Page 6.

1926 "Bok Building Natural Bird Park in Florida," The Bradenton Herald, November 19, 1926, Page 10.
Mr. Bok has made plans for the erection on the top of the mountain of a carillon that will contain 67 bells.

1928 "Florida Gets World's Largest Carillon," The Bradenton Herald, September 13, 1928, Page 1.
The bells, 61 in number, weigh 123,165 pounds. Above is shown the largest, weighing 11 tons.

1928 "Anton Brees to go to Florida to Play Carillon," Public Opinion (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), September 21, 1928, Page 1. | Part 2 |

1928 "Anton Brees, Bok's Carilloneur, Comes to Florida Dec 1", The Tampa Tribune, October 3, 1928, Page 19.

1929 "Coolidge Dedicates Singing Tower," The Bradenton Herald, February 1, 1929, Page 1 | Part 2 |

1929 Address of President Coolidge Dedicating a Sanctuary and Singing Tower at Mountain Lake Florida, February 1, 1929

1929 "America's Taj Mahal," by Edward W. Bok, Scribner's Magazine 85(2):155-162 (February 1929)

1929 "Taj Mahal of America in Florida," The Macon Telegraph Sunday Magazine, March 17, 1929, Page 1. | Part 2 |
Edward W. Bok's Singing Tower and Bird Sanctuary at Lake Wales, Florida, is one of the World's greatest beauty spots--Thousands of people from all parts of the country will visit it daily.

1929 The Sanctuary and singing tower: Mountain Lake, Florida, by H.M. Nornabell | pdf |

1929 The Sanctuary and singing tower: Mountain Lake, Florida, by H.M. Nornabell

1929 America's Taj Mahal The Singing Tower Of Florida, by Edward W. Bok

1930 Edward Bok (9 Oct 1863 - 9 Jan 1930) Grave at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida.

1934 "Florida's Carillon," by Kamiel Lefevere, The Church Monthly 8(4):62, 70-72, 78 (February 1934)

1935 Program of Recitals at the Singing Tower Anton Brees

1940 The Mountain Lake Sanctuary, Florida

1946 The Mountain Lake Sanctuary, Florida

1961 The Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower, Lake Wales, Florida

1980 "The Bok Singing Tower 1929-1979," by Nellie Lee Bok, Bulletin of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America 29:18-23 (1980)

1989 America's Taj Mahal The Singing Tower Of Florida, Second Edition, by Edward W. Bok

2022 The Creation and Legacy of the Florida’s Mountain Lake Sanctuary and the Bok Singing Tower, by Dennis Montagna

2022 The Model Man: A Life of Edward William Bok, 1863-1930, by Hans Krabbendam

Bok Tower Gardens web site | The Singing Tower |

Bok Tower Gardens (Wikipedia)