Big Joe, Bronze bell at Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Big Joe is a bronze bell at Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Cincinnati that measures 2.7 meters in diameter and 2.1 meters in height. The large clapper produces deep, resonant tones that carry across the neighborhood.
The bell was cast on October 30, 1895, by the E. W. Van Duzen Company and became the largest swinging bell ever manufactured in the United States. It represents a significant achievement in the history of American bell-making.
The bell rings three times each day for the Angelus prayer, accompanied by four smaller bells known as the ladies in waiting. This daily ritual shapes the neighborhood's rhythm and marks the passage of hours for residents and visitors.
The bell is located in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood and remains fixed in the church tower. The best time to hear it ring is around noon and early evening when the daily bell tolls sound across the area.
Moving this massive bronze casting required fourteen horses to pull it up Gilbert Avenue to reach the church. This remarkable feat highlights the engineering challenge of positioning such an enormous weight in the 1890s.
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