Why is there a bell on top of Trotter?

April 10, 2007

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

We looked in the files of the Friends Historical Library, and found that the central section of Trotter was built in 1881 as the new Hall of Physics and Engineering “following complaints about fumes from laboratories” in Parrish. The West Wing, where the bell currently stands, was added in 1895, and the East Wing in 1919.

According to a December 1997 article from the Swarthmore Bulletin, the bell “once signaled classes and called students to Quaker meeting.”

Sample advertisement

Another possible theory is that the bell was intended as a warning system for fire. Trotter was raised the same year Parrish burned to the ground, and since Trotter housed a 10-horse-power Westinghouse alternating dynamo, a 65-horse-power boiler, and a 50-horse-power engine, among other advanced technology of the time, there may have been a concern that Trotter would meet a similar fate.

Trotter also used to be notorious for its maze-like interior and incredibly narrow halls, so it seems that some things change for the better while some change for the worse, or at least the less musical. Want to know more about Swarthmore’s melodious past? Ask the Gazette at dailygazette [at] swarthmore [dot] edu.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

An inside look at Willets, Mertz, Alice Paul, and Mary Lyons

Next Story

Sestak town-hall meeting focused on environmental issues

Latest from News

Swarthmore Leaders React as SEPTA Announces Severe Cuts

On April 10, the South-Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced widespread service cuts and fare increases for the 2026 fiscal year. The cuts, which total a 45% reduction of service, are the culmination of several years of long-term deficits that have only

New NCAA Policy Implications for Transgender Student-Athletes

Under a new NCAA policy banning transgender and gender non-conforming athletes from participating in women’s sports, the status of potential Swarthmore student-athletes is in question. The policy, enacted Feb. 6, places no restrictions on who can participate in men’s teams, but bans

Resident Peer Leader Hiring Cycle Sees Surge in Applications

As the spring semester comes to a close, many students and administrators are well into preparations for the 2025-2026 school year. The housing lottery has finished, students have completed pre-registration for classes, and many open campus jobs, including Resident Peer Leaders (RPLs),

Dr. Wade Manora Jr. Takes on IC Role

In January 2024, the Intercultural Center (IC) announced a change in leadership for the first time since 2019. Dr. Wade Manora Jr. is the new Assistant Dean and Director of the IC, succeeding Dr. Imaani El-Burki in the role. Manora was the
Previous Story

An inside look at Willets, Mertz, Alice Paul, and Mary Lyons

Next Story

Sestak town-hall meeting focused on environmental issues

The Phoenix

Don't Miss