Fundraising efforts underway to help refurbish bell tower

By Jim Newell
Lake Orion Review Editor
OXFORD — The bell no longer tolls at Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ.
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.
Parts of the church’s wooden bell tower need to be replaced due to age, and the bell needs to be removed and refurbished.
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 1,300-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.
“On Halloween, we had an open house and every child age three to 90 would stop by and ring the bell all night. People loved it,” Willcock said.
Art Nagasaki is the treasure at the church and project manager. The church has raised more than $18,000 so far but needs another $15,000 or more to complete repairs.
“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,” Nagasaki said. “All the wood needs a good scraping, then re-priming and painting. It’s just showing its age.”
The bell was constructed in the late 1870s and is showing signs of wear as well, said Nagasaki.
“The bell has to come down because it’s unsafe, we’re not allowed to ring it anymore,” Willcock said. “So, the 1,300-pound bell will come down for the first time in almost 150 years.”
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.
“We don’t want the bell and the yoke to separate,” said Nagasaki, adding that a couple of axles that the bell pivots on to create the swinging motion need to be taken apart, cleaned, greased and checked for any deterioration.
The bell itself will be cleaned and repainted and Nagasaki anticipates it will come down in early July.
“Our steeplejack guy, the guy who’s going to do our bell tower repairs, his schedule opens up in mid-July,” Nagasaki said. “So, I would like to have our bell down and out of his way so he can work unencumbered.”
An expert came out to the church at the end of April and recommended that the congregation stop ringing the bell, Nagasaki said. “His concern is the bolt that attaches the bell to the yoke. We don’t want to do anything to make that bolt fail and then the bell falls down off the yoke.”
Without community support, the project could be delayed out of structural and safety concerns.
“We are definitely looking for contributions from the community to help us fund this project. It’s got to be done. I believe this church is a fixture in the community and we need to keep it going for another 150 years,” Nagasaki said.
The church is supported mostly by the congregation, which has dwindled over the years. Official membership numbers in the fifties range and is an “older congregation.”
“Some people just aren’t able to attend church in person. I would say on any given Sunday, people actually in the sanctuary is probably 15-25, maybe,” Nagasaki said.
The church is working through the process of getting a historical designation. “If we had a historical designation that would open us up to get some other grants that are not currently available to us,” Nagasaki said.
The church hosts a variety of community outreach programs: a free dinner every Tuesday from 5-6:30 p.m. and the Free Meals program on Wednesday evenings at 5 p.m., providing area residents in need of assistance with groceries. There are AA meetings almost every night, and the church hosts other events, such as craft fairs.
“I appreciate the support (of the community) …to keep our doors open to continue servicing the community,” Willcock said.
To donate:
Folks can donate to help preserve the historic church at icucc.org/donate, or by postal mail to Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ, 1 Hovey Street, Oxford, MI 48371, or by scanning the QR code at the right.