176-year-old bell to ring again as Wilcox Female Institute restoration moves forward

A bell that has been silent for more than half a century is one step closer to ringing again in Camden.

This week, the Wilcox Historical Society removed the original bell of the historic Wilcox Female Institute from the basement of Camden Baptist Church, where it had been stored for at least 50 years. The solid bronze bell, weighing more than 600 pounds, is now headed to Ohio, where it will be professionally restored and tuned before returning to its original home in the bell tower of the Wilcox Female Institute.

Cast in 1850, the bell bears the inscription, “From Meneely’s Foundry, West Troy, N.Y. 1850.” The date coincides with the founding and construction of the Wilcox Female Institute, which was incorporated in 1850 as a school for young women.

Removing the massive bell from the church basement was no small undertaking. Chris Pringle and the crew of Chris Pringle Construction, the contractor for the Wilcox Female Institute restoration, moved the bell from its longtime storage location. Coast to Coast in Camden provided additional assistance, bringing a forklift to the church to lift the crated bell and load it onto the truck for transport.

The bell’s restoration is part of the Wilcox Historical Society’s more than $500,000 restoration of the Wilcox Female Institute, the Society’s headquarters on Broad Street in Camden. The project includes restoring the bell tower and balcony, adding a new cedar shake roof, rehabilitating the second floor, and installing new electrical and HVAC systems.

Once restoration of the bell and bell tower is complete, the 176-year-old bell will be returned to Camden and reinstalled in the tower.

The Wilcox Historical Society plans to document the bell’s restoration and share more of its history as research continues.

The Society worked with Chris Pringle Construction and Coast to Coast in Camden for the bell’s removal and transport. Photographer Laura Agee documented the day’s work.