Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Summerville's Ring Returns!

The Town of Summerville South Carolina has great pride in its history and heritage. Forty years ago, the bell that set the rhythm of the town was lost, last week it’s sweet sound was returned.
In 1893, a bell from The Porter Military Academy arsenal was installed in the belfry of the original wooden town hall that Summerville’s officials called home for 75 years. When the original wooden town hall caught fire in 1968 the town lost the bell which now sings it’s tune at Porter-Gaud, a private school in Charleston.

Now a new bell has been erected in the new annex to town hall. The addition was constructed to accommodate the growing community of Summerville. There is a new auditorium and additional room to view closed circuit broadcasts of town hall and council meetings, as well as added parking.

Summerville’s new Town Hall bell was installed by Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries of Charleston. Christoph Paccard has been casting and installing bells for more than 200 years. Other Paccard cast bronze bells in South Carolina ring at The Citadel, Clemson University, Furman University and more than 10 churches throughout the state.

Summerville’s newest bell was tuned to be sure to ring in harmony with existing bells in the town. The new Town Hall bell is tuned to ring D above middle C. Nearby church bells ring C, E, G and A, meaning when all are rung at once on special occasions the streets will fill with an amazing sound—Summerville’s Sound.