Beaumont Tower, Gothic bell tower at Michigan State University, East Lansing, US
Beaumont Tower is a Gothic stone bell tower standing at the heart of Michigan State University's campus in East Lansing, Michigan. It houses a carillon of 49 bells that are played regularly, sending music across the surrounding campus grounds.
The tower was built in 1928 by architects Donaldson and Meier on the site of College Hall, the first building in America dedicated to scientific agriculture education. Its construction was meant to mark that founding moment in the university's history.
The tower's stone face carries an Art Deco relief by Lee Lawrie showing a figure scattering seeds, a reference to the agricultural roots of the university. Below it, a carved inscription from the Book of Galatians adds a moral dimension that many students and visitors pause to read.
The tower stands in the open central area of the Michigan State University campus and can be reached on foot from most parts of the grounds. If you want to hear the carillon being played, try to time your visit with one of the regular scheduled concerts.
The carillon began with just 10 bells when the tower opened in 1928 and grew to 49 through several separate donations over the following decades. Each addition changed the range of music that could be performed, making the instrument a work in progress for much of the 20th century.
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