CNBNews

(Editor’s note: This is the first in an occasional series about the history of the “Bells of Gloucester City.” Thanks to Ed Walens for coming up with this idea.)

On October 11, 1849, the cornerstone for the first Presbyterian Church was laid. Then  on Sunday, December 10, 1850, the church building was depicted minus a steeple.

After much discussion a spike was purchased and placed on the church raising to the height of 82 feet.

Now Mr. Henry F. West thought the steeple should house a bell, but knowing the congregation could not afford one he decided to donate one on his own.

The church received the bell in the summer of 1852, but unfortunately it could not be placed in the steeple.

Shortly after the arrival of the bell a tornado hit Gloucester City and the 82- foot steeple was torn off its foundation.

Now, Mr. West was superintendent of Washington Mills, and the Mills needed a bell to let people know the starting time, 6 a.m., and the quitting time, 6 p.m. of the work week.

The bell was placed in the bell tower with the promise to the church congregation that it would also be rung for all church services on Sunday.

In 1893 the Washington Mills became the Argo Mills Co. However, the bell kept ringing until 1920 when Argo Mills closed its doors.

The building that held the bell was bought by Armstrong Cork Co. in 1950, and torn down to make room to store cork.

The bell was bought by the Gloucester Jaycees in the 1950s, and they had it cleaned and put on a float and paraded on July 4^th as Gloucester’s oldest bell.

After the parade it was placed in the side yard of the Presbyterian Church for a couple of years.

Then, the Gloucester vandals took over and were throwing rocks and stone at a piece of history of Gloucester City.

It was placed back in storage and brought out again for the Centennial Celebration parade in 1968.

Today, the bell is in the street department building where it is waiting for the city to resurrect it again.

And it will not be long, because it will be restored and placed on display in a permanent place and protected till the end of time.

Source of information: “The History of Gloucester City” 1664-New Jersey Tercentenary 1968 green paper cover, page 31.

Centennial Celebration, page 3, 1868, Gloucester City, N.J. 1968.

First Settlement on the Delaware River, page 182, A History of Gloucester City, N.J. 1976, Louisa W. Llewellyn.

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