Emanuel church bell replaced in steeple
Emanuel UCC’s smaller bell, “Virginia,” prior to the restoration process which started in May of this year.
Who knew that bells had names?
Well, they do. They’re engraved on the front of the bell, along with the manufacturer’s name and the date they were cast.
Emanuel United Church of Christ on West Main Street, actually has two bells–one of which is named “Concordia” and its smaller companion, “Virginia.” Concordia, originally installed in 1887, was funded by the Emanuel congregation as well as donations from the Manchester community, while Virginia, also installed that same year, was donated by the Emanuel Young Women’s Group. The bells were cast by the Buckeye Bell Foundry of Cincinnati, Ohio.
But for several months, there was only one bell in the belfry. What happened?
About two years ago, a local photographer, Jim Hodel, was taking photos of the church and requested to enter the bell tower to get birds-eye view photos of the community. At that time, he noticed the bells looked like they might need some maintenance, so he addressed the church’s property committee with his concerns.
“What he had actually noticed was not terribly serious,” said Keith Clark, chair of the property committee. “Mostly it was rust and corrosion. Being up there, exposed to the elements, for 130 years or so, their condition was probably not too surprising.”
However, Hodel’s note spurred the property committee to look further and they did go up in the belfry to fully inspect both bells. “We found that ‘Virginia’ actually had a crack in it,” Clark continued. “We contacted a couple of bell repair companies to get estimates and information on how to proceed. We were advised that the best way to fix a crack and make sure it was done properly, would be to re-cast the bell by melting it down and re-casting it to the original look and shape.”
The church contracted with the Smith Bell and Clock Service of Camby, Indiana, to have the necessary work done to restore and replace the bells and hardware. The larger, Concordia, weighing in at 1,651 pounds, was too large to remove from the belfry without also removing the surrounding brick and possibly losing the integrity of the recently-replaced steeple. The crew from Smith Bell inspected Concordia and concluded that it was perfectly sound, with no damage or cracks. So it was a good thing that only Virginia (at a dainty 993 pounds) needed to be removed and re-cast.
In May, Competitive Lighting Co. of Clinton Township came out with a crane and removed Virginia through the louvers, to be delivered to Indiana for its restoration. It was just a week short of six months later that they returned to hoist her back to her rightful position in the steeple, where she should be able to stay for another 100+ years.
“And at that point, it will no longer be my problem,” said Clark with a chuckle.
The bells now boast remote control units in addition to pull ropes that can control the bells as they ring out through the community to announce the church’s weekly worship services, as well as other important family events such as weddings and funerals.
Returning to her rightful place in Emanuel’s belfry, via crane, on Wednesday, October 30. Photo courtesy of Keith Clark.
Virginia, re-cast and now returned to her home!
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