When Clifton Park Historian John Scherer heard at a Christmas party last year about an old bell that was sitting in someone’s garage during, his interest was piqued. It turns out the bell was cast in 1883 and was dedicated to the Grace Church in Jonesville.
Nine months after that Christmas party, the town board approved a resolution at the Monday, Oct. 1, meeting to create a $1,000 case so the bell could be put on public display.
Created by the Clinton H. Meneely Bell Company in Troy, the bell had been owned by the Charlton Historical Society before it was donated to the town.
The 2-foot-by-2-foot, 347-pound bell had originally cost $110 to make.
It was originally presented to the Jonesville church in 1883 by the choristers of the Ballston Spa Episcopal Church and was given to them as a gift during the dedication of Grace Church in Jonesville, Scherer said.
According to a history of the bell, written by Scherer, the Rev. Leon Cartmell, who was the minister of the Burnt Hills Episcopal Church, acquired the bell when Grace Church was sold in 1968. The bell was then installed at the Mission House in Charlton, which is across from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Maple Avenue.
The Charlton Historical Society obtained the bell after purchasing the Mission House, which was previously Schoolhouse No. 8, from Cartmell in 1982 for $800. After discovering the historic value of the bell, historical society member and former president Torben Aabo rescued it and stored it in his garage.
`The Charlton Historical Society wanted to give it some place where it would go to the public again for public display,` Scherer said. `There are Meneely bells all over the world. They are famous for these bells.`
Town Hall, Grooms Tavern, the new Rexford Park on Route 146, and Spirit Park on the corner of Moe Road and Clifton Park Center, were all mentioned by the town board as possible locations for the bell.
`It’s an opportunity to protect a very important piece of history in the town of Clifton Park, specifically Jonesville,` Supervisor Phil Barrett said. `When these opportunities come along, they don’t come often.`
Nancy Bellamy, a Democrat running for Clifton Park town board this fall and a member of both the Round Lake Episcopal Church and the historical society, asked if the bell was in a condition to be rung.
`I think that this will be a very nice arrangement,` she said. `The president has had the bell in his barn for all this time.`
Scherer also said he was interested to hear the bell.
`If at all possible, yes,` Councilman Scott Hughes, who is also running for town board, said. `We want to take a closer look at it upon receipt and inspect it to make sure it’s in a position that we can safely. First, of course, get it in a nice little encasement, and we’ll go from there.`
Bellamy said a bell similar in age is rung every Sunday night at her Round Lake church.
In related business, the town board passed a resolution Monday to give custody of historical documents to the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library to be stored in the library’s new climate-controlled storage room.
`It’s important that we take that opportunity to protect our history,` Barrett said. `I think it’s fitting that we did pass some money to do that tonight because of our agreement and partnership with the library to make sure historical items are protected and can also be displayed.“