The 1897 Bell Tower Project
Titus County's Court House with its ornate clock tower approx. 1940 - (Photo LG-0006)
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Wednesday, February 7, 1940
Tearing Down Of Court House Clock Starts Wednesday
Remove Landmark For Modernization County Structure
[NOTE: first part of first sentence was missing in original article] city was being removed Wednesday morning when workmen started to tear down the old clock tower of the court house for modernizing the structure. When the court house was constructed in 1895, the tower was even higher than it had been for the past few years, and was topped by a huge lead eagle, but the bird was struck by lighting and had to be removed. The tower will be replaced with a penthouse, which will not be so high. Electric clocks will be placed on each side of the structure when completed.
The woodwork inside the building is all being torn away, and all of the doors and windows will be of metal. Wooden doors will be used inside, and with this exception, the structure will be fireproof.
Complete change will be in arrangements for the interior, and instead of the angular stairways, they will all be straight and not so steep.
As soon as the penthouse on top is completed, the contractor, O. L. Crigler, says rapid progress can be made in converting the structure into its modern styling.
When Titus County's court house was destroyed by fire on September 20, 1895, the Commissioners replaced it with the present brick and masonry structure in 1896-1897. The new court house was originally a two-story red brick structure crowned by a tall, ornate white clock tower located in the center of its roof. A large lead eagle sat atop the clock tower, but was struck by lightning and had to be removed. The clock tower appears in early photos to have been slightly over a full story in height and contained four large clocks, one facing each side of the court house square. The original clock system included a large bronze bell which tolled on the hour and half-hour. One side of the bell is embossed "McShane Bell Foundry, Baltimore, Maryland, 1897", the name of its manufacturer. The other is embossed "The Seth Thomas Co., New York", the name of the famous American clock manufacturer. The bell is approximately 34" in diameter at the base, approximately the same height, and weighs over 800 pounds.
Artist's Rendering of the 1897 Bell Tower Project
As Titus County government expanded, county offices outgrew the two-story court house. Rather than constructing a new building, the Commissioner's Court decided to remove the clock tower and add a third floor to the existing court house to provide more space for county offices. Demolition to prepare for the new floor began on Wednesday, February 7, 1940, when the bell was removed from the tower where it had hung for the last 45 years. A glass display case was prepared for the bell in the wall adjacent to the first floor's north entrance during the 1940 remodel. It was placed on display in the showcase, where it silently remained for the next 67 years.
Photos of the bell after cleaning. Inscriptions are (Left) "McShane Bell Foundry, Baltimore, Maryland 1897"
and (Right Photo) "Seth Thomas Company, New York."
As part of Mt. Pleasant's Main Street Project, a decision was made in late 2001 to build a new tower for the court house bell so its toll could again be heard over the downtown business district. The project was a joint effort between the Titus County Historical Commission, Titus County, the City of Mt. Pleasant, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Main Street Project. The bell was removed from its display case inside the court house and sent to the Verdin Company for cleaning and installation of a new mounting to bracket to mount it on an electrical control unit.
The 1897 Bell Tower Dedication Ceremony was held Sunday, November 11, 2007
W. Anthony "Tony" Eeds of the White Rock Studio architectural firm of Dallas was hired to draft plans for the new bell tower and Robert C. Hickman of Leap Engineering in Beaumont acted as structural engineer. The new Bell Tower will contain a programmable electronic controller to ring the bell at any time desired. Final specifications were posted for bids under standard County and City bid specifications, and Richard Jones of Mt. Pleasant was the successful bidder for the construction project.
The new bell tower was erected on the southwest corner of West First Street and South Madison Street on the edge of property that the County acquired for use as a parking lot after Hotel Stephens burned and the debris was cleared.
Bell Tower construction costs were approximately $130,000 including engineering and architectural fees. Funds to construct the Bell Tower Project were raised by various efforts within the community. Titus County provided $25,000 in initial funding, the City of Mt. Pleasant provided $12,500, and the Chamber of Commerce provided $10,000. Area elementary school children held a penny drive contest as a fund raising effort, with Annie Sims, Chapel Hill, E. C. Brice, Francis Corprew, Harts Bluff, and Vivian Fowler schools participating. The children collectively raised $8,090.91 in pennies. E.C. Brice Elementary School won the contest by raising $2,440.44 in pennies. The winning class, as well as each participating school, received an engraved brick in their name to be placed at the Bell Tower.
Beginning in 2003, two sizes of engraved brick paving stones were offered for sale to the public to raise funds. The Main Street Project hopes to sell 1,897 bricks, signifying the year that the bell was manufactured. Over 1,400 were sold in the initial drive, raising over $60,000. Bricks can still be purchased. Bricks purchased since the initial drive closed will be laid at the Bell Tower once a year. A standard brick can be purchased for $50.00 each. A larger 8" x 8" paver brick can be purchased for $115.00.
Construction began on the new bell tower in late 2006 with the erection of a structural steel frame. After the bell was returned to Mt. Pleasant, it was hung in its new home on January 5, 2007.
It's still not too late to purchase an engraved brick to be placed around the
1897 Bell Tower.
Bricks purchased since the initial drive closed will be laid at the Bell Tower once a year.
Bricks are available in two sizes. A standard brick can be purchased for $50.00 each and may contain three (3) lines of type consisting of sixteen (16) characters (including spaces).
A larger 8" x 8" paver brick can be purchased for $115.00 and may contain up to five (5) lines of type containing up to twenty (20) characters (including spaces) each.
Example engravings are:
Children or grandchildren can honor parents or grandparents. A friend, relative, or community figure can be memorialized. Civic clubs that wish to honor or memorialize past or present members or officers can purchase bricks. Businesses, clubs and individuals may wish to simply support the community wide effort to commemorate our history by purchasing bricks. Brick purchases are ideal for Mother's or Father's Day, Grandparents Day, birthdays, graduation, anniversaries, Christmas, or any other memorial day or holiday.
For more information, contact:
Nita May
City Planner/Main Street Director
City of Mount Pleasant
501 N. Madison
Mt. Pleasant, Texas 75455
903-575-4000
or
Claude Alexander
Titus County Historical Commission
903-572-2797
For your convenience, you may download and print an order form that you may fill out and mail with your remittance by clicking one of the following links:
Once the bell was centered on the pallet, the jack was lowered and used to roll the bell out of the court house.
Left to Right: Unknown, Commissioner Billy Jack Thompson, Commissioner Bob Fitch, Commisioner Mike Fields, County Judge Danny Pat Crooks, Claude Alexander
Left to Right: Commissioner Billy Jack Thompson, Commissioner Bob Fitch, Commissioner Mike Fields, County Judge Danny Pat Crooks
Several men were required to safely remove the bell from its display case.
Left to Right: Commissioner Bob Fitch, Commissioner Billy Jack Thompson, Commisioner Mike Fields, County Judge Danny Pat Crooks, Claude Alexander
Pieces of pipe were used as rollers to move the bell out of the display case onto the pallet.
Left to Right: Commissioner Bob Fitch, Commissioner Billy Jack Thompson, Claude Alexander, Commisioner Mike Fields
Claude Alexander instructs the crew on how they will move the bell. Since the bell weighs over 800 pounds, safety was important to prevent injury to workers and the bell.
A hydraulic jack was used to raise a pallet to the same height as the display case. Wooden blocks were used to prevent the jack from accidentally collapsing.
Main Street Project board members plotted fund raising progress for the 1897 Bell Tower Project on a large thermometer at the site.
Left to Right: David Rose, Linda Norris, Claude Alexander, Jeff Walden, Nita May, Brian Niblett, Michelle Norris.
Elementary school children raised funds through a penny drive contest. E.C. Brice Elementary won by raising $2,440.44.
Left to Right: Teacher Jan Cross, Kendell Thompson, unknown, Nolen Hester
Masonry work was begun to enclose the structural steel frame, and once the lower portion was laid, Mt. Pleasant's Temple Lodge #70 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons presided over the cornerstone leveling ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on February 21, 2007. The Masonic Lodge and corner stone leveling ceremony dates back to the time of King Solomon, when workers were paid in corn, wine, and oil. The ceremony represents the Corn of Nourishment, the Wine of Refreshment, the Oil of Joy.
Left to Right: Richard Jones, General Contractor, and a representative from Carpco Steel, Texarkana.
Lodge Marshal and past Master Dudley Thomas directed the ceremony.
Left to right: Mike Reynolds, William Guy, Dudley Thomas, Dr. William N. Parkey (Worshipful Master and Deputy Grand Master for 2007).
Next, lodge member Gene Robinson ceremonially checked the cornerstone to verify that it was level.
Not shown was lodge member Mike Reynolds, who ceremonially checked the cornerstone to be plumb.
First, Master of Ceremonies and past Master William Guy ceremonially checked the cornerstone to insure that it was square.
Left to right: Past Master Billy Weeks, Mike Reynolds, William Guy, Dudley Thomas.
Past Master William Guy pours the ceremonial Corn of Nourishment.
Left to Right: Darwin Crain, Billy Weeks (with back turned), Mike Reynolds, William Guy.
Lodge member Gene Robinson pours the ceremonial
Wine of Refreshment.
Left to Right: Billy Weeks, Gene Robinson, Mike Reynolds.
Lodge member Mike Reynolds pours the ceremonial
Oil of Joy.
Left to Right: Billy Weeks, Mike Reynolds.
Lodge member and County Judge Sam Russell gave the oration to close the ceremony.
Left to Right: Gene Robinson, Dudley Thomas, Sam Russell, Mike Reynolds, Bill Guy, Charles Horn.
"To you, Brother Architect, are confided the implements of operative Masonry, with the fullest confidence that, by your skill and taste, a fabric shall arise which shall add new luster to your fame as a Master Builder; may it endure for many ages, a monument of the liberality and benevolence of its founders."
The 1897 Bell Tower was completed in September, 2007
The long-awaited laying of engraved pavers was finished, and the once-vacant corner parking lot now is an attraction in downtown Mt. Pleasant
The Mt. Pleasant High School Band
The First Baptist Church, Mt. Pleasant, Handbell Chior
The Chapel Hill Elementary School Chior
David Rose acted as Master of Ceremonies.
Claude Alexander was recognized for his contribution.
The 1897 Bell Tower Dedication Plaque
A large crowd attended the 1897 Bell Tower dedication ceremonies.
Guaranty Bank provided free hot dogs and Cypress Bank provided free cold drinks.
