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New Roof & Restoration of Bell to Belfry

Original Bronze Bell Reinstalled

            A bronze cast bell with an iron clapper. It is rung by an iron "s" shaped arm hooked to the top from which a hemp rope is attached. The rope is fed through the church ceiling for the bell ringer. The bell is secured to the yoke which is supported by two vertical beams, etc. 

            It was purchased by Hermon Bronson, founder of the Bronson Memorial Church, originally the Bethel Episcopal Church. It was installed in the belfry approximately 1839.

            Around 1985 one of the supporting wood beams was chewed by squirrels to such a degree that when the bell was rung after a wedding, the timber broke and the bell crashed through the belfry ceiling trap door to the floor, missing the bride and groom by only a few feet. The iron cast yoke also broke into two pieces. The bell was confiscated by the insurance company and held for a number of years. Robert L. Hunker with the blessing of the Summit County Historical Society negotiated the return of the bell and yoke. It was on display in the church anteroom until early 2007. At that time, Robert L. Hunker through a friend Robert Kish, a sales representative for Singer Steel Co., found the Tiffin Foundry and Mr. Jay Salamone. He used the original yoke to cast a new one. Peggy Jo Whitman delivered the broken pieces and picked up the new one.

            The bell was reinstalled on December 12, 2007 by Art Gilly, Jr., Bert Evans, and Mike Rushton. Friends of the Foundation gathered at the Bronson Church on New Year's Eve 2007 to ring in the New Year, new roof, and the restoration of the bell.

New Roof - Installed Summer 2007