By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
Oxford – The bell no longer tolls at Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ. For the first time since it was placed 145 years ago, the bell was removed on Sept. 11 from the bell tower for repairs to both the bell and tower.
Immanuel church members have been fundraising to refurbish the bell and replace much of the wood structure of the tower, which has rotted with age.
But with support from the community, the 145-year-old congregation hopes that once again the bell will sound in downtown Oxford, ringing in Sunday services and special events.
Immanuel Congregational Church is the oldest church structure in the Village of Oxford. The church, on the corner of Hovey and Dennison streets just a block away from M-24, was dedicated in 1878 and the approximately 1,700-pound cast iron bell was installed at that time.
“We can’t ring the bell because the actual pin that the bell pivots on has been pivoting for 150 years and is wearing down, like a pencil,” said Justin Willcock, who is leading the fundraising efforts for the church. “What’s holding the bell up, that’s not rotting, it’s everything around it and underneath it. We don’t want a 1,300-pound bell dropping through three levels onto the person ringing the bell.”
While the bell typically rang before and after church services, it also chimed in the village during special events, such as weddings and funerals. Willcock also rang the bell 12 times at noon for 57 days straight during the onset of the COVID lockdown.
Art Nagasaki is the treasure at the church and project manager. While the church has raised a significant amount of money so far, it needs another $15,000 or more to complete repairs and reinstall the bell.
“I’m anticipating the project to be right around $35,000,” Nagasaki said. The estimate includes repairing the bell tower, refurbishing the bell and contingency costs. There is wood rot in the columns that support the roof above the bell, some brick work on the interior of the tower and the windows need to be refurbished. We need to rebuild that whole structure that the bell actually sits on and make it weather-tight. All the wood needs a good scraping, then re-priming and painting. It’s just showing its age.”
The biggest concern is about the deteriorating bolt that attaches the bell to the yoke, which is the part of the bell tree structure that the bell pivots on.
Folks can donate to help preserve the historic church bell at icucc.org/donate, or by mail to Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ, 1 Hovey Street, Oxford, MI 48371.