CS Bell Company
This foundry was originally established by Charles Singleton Bell in 1856. The C.S. Bell Co. cast steel alloy bells until 1974 in Hillsboro, Ohio.
During the first year the foundry operated, C.S. Bell Company cast one thousand bells, including farm bells, church bells, fire alarm bells and factory bells. By the year 1889, the foundry was producing 20,000 bells annually. Sears and Roebuck catalog sales accounted for many of the farm bells sold.
The largest bell cast was 54 inches in diameter. The bell alone weighed 2,060 pounds, With hardware and ringing apparatus included, the weight was 3,150 pounds. A bell such as this cost $375 in 1921.
In recent years, Bells Novelty Casting in Anniston, Alabama was casting farm bells from the original 1800’s CS Bell Co. molds. Bells Novelty Casting closed in the spring of 2007.