'Group effort' leads to restoration, reinstall of Highland House Museum's historic bell
From left, John Willis, Joshua Kellis and Justin Harsha of Harsha Monument Company are pictured during the reinstall of the historic bell at Highland House Museum. (Photo courtesy of Letcher Langston; photo gallery images below are courtesy of John Glaze and John Kellis)
After two unrelated accidents temporarily took it out of commission, the historic, massive cast iron bell owned by the Highland County Historical Society returned to its rightful spot outside the Highland House Museum facing U.S. 50 in Hillsboro on Thursday, Dec. 28.
Highland County Historical Society Trustee and chair of the HCHS Buildings and Grounds Committee John Willis said that repairs to the church bell from the C.S. Bell foundry were the result of a collaborative effort from several individuals and businesses in Highland County.
According to the late Pamela Nickell in an article for The Highland County Press, the Historical Society purchased the museum property “in 1966 with encouragement and assistance from Virginia Bell Thompson, president of the C.S. Bell Company, an important early industry in Hillsboro,” and Thompson subsequently donated the bell to the Society. (According to Tim Koehl in a post on Facebook, it is a 48-inch cast iron bell.)
As previously reported, a Hillsboro man was arrested Nov. 10, 2022 after eluding police and causing an accident on East Main Street that led to him eventually hitting the bell.
Although the bell was damaged, Willis said it was “not that bad of a fix,” and he arranged to have the hardware replaced in time for the Society’s “ringing in the new year” ceremony at midnight on Jan. 1, 2023.
Unfortunately, another traffic accident in the same area occurred in February, causing more significant damage to the bell.
“[The bell] was there a couple months, then a truck ran a red light, struck a car, and it came over and hit the bell,” Willis said. “It physically broke some of the parts. One of the uprights shattered to about six pieces.”
It has taken almost the entire year (due to insurance and other factors), but Willis said that a dedicated group worked together to restore the bell.
“This has been simmering on the back burner all year and needed done,” he said. “A month ago, I said one way or another, it’s going back up.”
Since one of the uprights was completely destroyed and the other one “had a crack in it,” Willis said that they were referred to Bear Mechanical.
“Corey Richards down there manufactured us two identical uprights out of steel, so they are lighter but sturdier,” Willis said.
Willis added that the former uprights “had roller caster bearings that were cutting grooves into the rollers,” making the bell very difficult to ring. Now, it can be “lubricated properly,” he said, and the bell can ring easily.
“I can push the bell with my finger now,” he said.
Assisting with the bell clapper was G & G Body Shop, as Willis said that Jason Griffith “straightened the clapper both times” the bell was repaired “so it would line up right and swing.”
Another area contractor, Steve Holland, remade the wheel for the bell, as Willis said the wheel had to be installed first in order to mount the bell.
Along with repairing the bell’s hardware, Willis said the exterior of the bell was “kind of rusty” after years of exposure to the elements. He said they opted for a “powder-coat process” to give the bell a fresh new look with black paint, this time handled by Coyote Manufacturing. Because of the “really porous” cast iron, Willis said it “took five coats” to get the bell powder coated.
Willis’ employees, Harsha Monument Co., also helped with the logistics of moving the extremely heavy bell to its various locations, including with its reinstall on Thursday.
“We are lucky to have people in the county who could help,” Willis said. “It was a group effort. It took a village, but we were able to have all the work done with businesses in the county.”
After Willis, Justin Harsha and Joshua Kellis of Harsha Monument Co., plus Holland worked to reinstall the bell Thursday, HCHS member John Kellis said that Willis’s “persistence allowed this to happen in time for the Society to ring in the new year as planned” on Jan. 1 at midnight.
“Everyone’s happy to see it up again,” Willis said. “Virginia Bell donated that back when the Society purchased the property, and that’s where it’s been the last 50 years. We had people ask if we should move it. No, that’s where it should be.”
Highland House Museum bell
It's great to see so much local support, and such good work, for something that has significance far beyond the borders of Hillsboro. (See http://www.towerbells.org/HillsboroFoundry.html, which will be expanded based on further research currently in progress.) One more thing is needed -- a few bollards along East Main Street to protect the bell (and the museum) from further automobile accidents.