COMING DOWN — Sixty-four years almost to the day after it was installed in the belfry of the First Congress-national Church, this 1 196-pound bell, cast in 1873 by the successors to Paul Revere, was removed on Monday by a 150-foot crane. Its supports weakened by the 1938 hurricane, the bell had not been rung since that time. Years before, pranksters climbed the tower and broke out part of the bell, which has now gone for salvage The four-hour removal job attracted scores of passers-by {McLean Photo)
The historic old bell that has summoned three generations to worship at the First Congregational Church on Walpole Street, was removed Monday and taken away for salvage, almost 64 years after the day that it was placed in the church steeple, August 4, 1884.
Cast in June 1873, by Holbrook and Son of East Medway, the firm that succeeded Paul Revere, the bell had fallen victim to time, hurricanes, and the pranks of small Norwood boys celebrating the Fourth of duly For the past ten years it has been silent. Now grown men, the boys of several years ago had climbed to the top of the high steeple and broken out a part of the bell. During the hurricane of September 1938, the timbers ft the church tower were slightly spread and the mechanism supporting the bell was so weakened that it has never since been rung.
The removal job, carried out by the Lamb Company of Hyde P»rk, was a four-hour project that was watched with interest by passing motorists, members of the church, and a group of fascinated boys. A 150-foot crane, which in the past has lifted ten tons in weight, was placed at the side of the church building. A section at the top ot the tower was removed and the bell pushed through and slowly lowered to the ground Weighing 1100 pounds, it was lifted by the crane as though it were a tinkling sleigh bell and lowered 55 feet to the ground.
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)
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