St. Louis, MO, photo by smalltowngirl
SO…there’s this giant bell mounted on a brick and concrete pedestal in front of the First Baptist Church of Bonne Terre, Missouri, and I’m not sure why.
Granted the bell looks super-cool (up close, especially), but there’s no plaque or sign indicating what the significance of the bell is.
The bell has words inscribed into the side of the bell, as well as a large “No. 11″ embossed on it. Does anyone know why an older church would mount a bell this way? Any Bonne Terre folks out there who could tell me what this bell’s all about?
No. 11, photo by smalltowngirl
Bell at First Baptist, photo by smalltowngirl
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Thanks to @ericam636 for tweeting this link on the history of the Bonne Terre First Baptist Church (and its bell). http://www.bonneterre.net/baptist.htm
The bell may be the one used to alter the town when there was a mining accident and the names inscribed may be the names of those who have died in mining accidents.
I grew up in Bonne Terre and was a member of the First Baptist Church. My father is 94 years old and still a deacon in that church. He told me that the bell was originally located in the bell tower of the church, but as the building (built in the early 1920′s) aged, it was noticed that ringing the bell was causing the bricks in the bell tower to jar loose. So the bell was removed and mounted in front of the church.
The names on the bell are church members at the time the building was erected. More than likely, those members contributed toward the cost of purchasing the bell.
Wow, Linda, thanks so much for the information! Tell you dad than you for me, as well, please.