History of the Jefferies Chime  - Edwin Jefferies, Part 1

The two people without whom there would be no Jefferies Chime are Elizabeth B. Jefferies, the donor of the chime, and her husband, Edwin Jefferies, in whose honor she gave it.  We are looking for more information about Elizabeth, but from what we do know, she appears to have been a remarkable woman.  Her husband had been a vestryman at Christ Church, Germantown, for over twenty-five years.  To honor and preserve his memory, she gave the chime of ten bells to the church.  He died on March 28, 1899, the day before Elizabeth's 86th birthday.  Despite her advanced years, she moved quickly: the bells and the rest of the chime instrument were cast, built, transported and installed before the end of the year.  The dedication was on Wednesday, December 13, 1899.  The bells were played for the first time on Christmas Day, Monday, December 25, 1899.

A concise summary of Edwin Jefferies' life is found in the following obituary from the publication "Railway World," dated April 1, 1899:

 He was a pioneer in the emerging field of railways, which, at that time, were a revolutionary development in transportation.  Before railways, people were traveling in much the same way they had been for thousands of years.   Railways were the first means of mechanized transportation the world had seen.

It is interesting to read that "Colonel Jefferies accepted the superintendency of that division of the Pennsylvania Railroad between Harrisburg and Altoona."  "That division" became known as the Middle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, well-known by railfans and model railroaders for its bridges, stations, and scenic attractions as it followed the Juniata River into the mountains.  Today, it is part of the Norfolk Southern Railway.