When six-year-old Edward Bok left the Netherlands for America in 1869, his grandmother told him, “Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.” Edward became very successful and very rich in his adopted country, but he never forgot the admonition of his grandmother. In the 1920's he decided to create a sanctuary for birds and people - a special place that would touch the soul with its beauty and quiet. A carillon tower with 57 bells became the centerpiece. It was Bok's gift of gratitude to the American people.
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