Uploaded October 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Cassopolis Methodist Church celebrated its 175th anniversary of its founding 10/26/2013 .Two days before the celebration we cleaned out the Belfry or Steeple where the huge bell was located the accumulated dirt ,leaves ,Bat droppings and old bird nests were very deep we pushed them down the trap door with a broom of course we were careful and had good respirator masks on and safety glasses . dirt filled the front entrance area on the tarp we had put down and made the ladder precarious to climb ...The bell had not been rung for many many years I guessed 75 years however one lady said she had heard it in the 1960's so I am probably wrong about that . It had not been rung because it is a large bell and weighs several hundred pounds it is hanging from a single big bolt that was loose .When we tried rocking it slowly it went KER-THUNK and flopped around shaking the steeple ! Tightening the big bolt it hung from in the metal supporting frame cured the problem and it rang smoothly . So here is the video from the "cleaning" day . It is a small hand held camera and the video is shaky but you can hear the ringing of the bell after many many years .Check out Cassopolis United methodist church on youtube an active church on the move ! It was very interesting climbing in the steeple built in 1873 . BOB
Cassopolis Methodist Church celebrated its 175th anniversary of its founding 10/26/2013 .Two days before the celebration we cleaned out the Belfry or Steeple where the huge bell was located the accumulated dirt ,leaves ,Bat droppings and old bird nests were very deep we pushed them down the trap door with a broom of course we were careful and had good respirator masks on and safety glasses . dirt filled the front entrance area on the tarp we had put down and made the ladder precarious to climb ...The bell had not been rung for many many years I guessed 75 years however one lady said she had heard it in the 1960's so I am probably wrong about that . It had not been rung because it is a large bell and weighs several hundred pounds it is hanging from a single big bolt that was loose .When we tried rocking it slowly it went KER-THUNK and flopped around shaking the steeple ! Tightening the big bolt it hung from in the metal supporting frame cured the problem and it rang smoothly . So here is the video from the "cleaning" day . It is a small hand held camera and the video is shaky but you can hear the ringing of the bell after many many years .Check out Cassopolis United methodist church on youtube an active church on the move ! It was very interesting climbing in the steeple built in 1873 . BOB
