I’m recapping in part (before our July 4th bell ringing) facts about our bell at the Rochester Historical Society/ East Rochester Congregational Church. The church building which houses the bell as well as the next-door cemetery are on the National Register of Historical Places thanks to hard work by Betty Beaulieu.
The church building built in 1857 is a great example of the Greek Revival style which was popular in new England at the time. Over the years a variety of updates and repairs were done and many of them were paid for with money raised by the Ladies Sewing Circle. In 1936, it was reported at the Annual Meeting that the belfry had sunk two inches into the roof necessitating some major repairs.
The belfry contains the bell cast in 1872 by William Blake and Co. of Boston, Mass. An interesting note is that William Blake was a partner along with Paul Revere III and John W. Sullivan in the Boston Copper Co.
The bell is reached by climbing a wooden ladder in the vestibule and climbing through a small trapdoor into the belfry. The bell operates by a pulley in the floor and a sidewheel. The rope comes down through the trapdoor next to the ladder.
The bell (like other church bells) was used to call the East Rochester community together for church but also for important events, most notably the end of World War II. The bell was rung to call the neighborhood together to celebrate the end of the war.
We hope some of you will join the Historical Society at 355 County Rd. on July 4 between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm. The bell will toll 13 times beginning at noon. Anyone there before noon may take a try at ringing the bell. We’re also suggesting that anyone who has any kind of bell to bring it along to ring out Freedom Bells. After the bell ringing, there will be ice cream cups and a free copy of the Declaration of Independence.
By Connie Eshbach
