HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-18-1997 - 9b s
1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 18, 1997
Action Agenda
Item No. 9_b
SUBJECT: Historic Courthouse Bell Replacement
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/1)
BUDGET AMENDMENT: (Y/N)
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Information Sheet-Bell Replacement Dr. Robert Ireland, 732-7538
1/15/97 Letter from Restoration Consultant County Manager, ext 2300
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 227-2031
PURPOSE: To consider endorsing plans by the Hillsborough Historical Society to replace the bell
in the tower of the Historic Courthouse in Hillsborough.
BACKGROUND: The Hillsborough Historical Society has received a grant from the Tourism
Board that will pay for the purchase and installation of a bell cast in England in 1747 to replace the
bell in the Historic Courthouse tower. The Board of Commissioners is asked to endorse this plan,
as the bell would be mounted in a County owned facility. This endorsement would give the
Historical Society the go ahead to order the bell to be shipped from England and installed. All costs
related to the purchase, shipping, and installation of the bell, and to any structural improvements to
the Courthouse tower, will be paid by the Historical Society.
Staff believe that it is important that the Society coordinate its planned bell replacement carefully
with County staff to protect the structural integrity of the Historic Courthouse, and to ensure that
safety, liability, and scheduling concerns are adequately addressed.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board endorse the Society's plans
to replace the bell, subject to appropriate review by County staff.
2
REPLACEMENT OF THE OLD COURTHOUSE BELL
I. The replacement of the old courthouse bell was suggested by a
study of the town clock, conducted by Richard Parsons, a clock and
bell expert. (copy enclosed) . The existing bell suffers from a
serious weakness caused by incorrect striking, and from its size,
which does not permit enough sound to be heard by anyone.
II. Armed with this information, the Hillsborough Historical
Society applied for and was granted $8,500 by the Tourism Board to
pay for a 42 inch, 1, 000 lb bell from England to be installed by
April of 1997. (copy of grant request enclosed)
III. Concern was raised by several people that such a bell might be
too large and heavy for proper installation. Thus, a structural
engineer was obtained, at Society expense, to review the plans and
determine its feasibility. (copy enclosed) The Engineer's Report
suggested the use of a smaller bell, which has been ordered and a
deposit paid for. (a 500 lb 31 inch bell cast in 1757 )
A. The present plans call for the removal of only 1 inner board
and the louvers of one face of the cupola; no outside dismantling
will be needed. The louvers and all other boards will be replaced.
B. A new cross beam will be installed to support the bell.
C. No outside scaffolding will be required. The bell may be
delivered to a platform hung from the inside of the tower.
3
RICHARD PARSONS
Restoration Consultant
15 January 1997
Mr. Robert Ireland
Hillsborough Historical Society
721 Mary E. Cook Road
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Dear Bob,
This is a memorandum of an agreement between the Hillsborough Historical Society and
Eayre & Smith Ltd. Will you please have a copy of this signed by the appropriate person in the
Society, and mail it back to me. I will fax a copy to Eayre & Smith and they will sign it and
send a copy back to me, which I will pass on to your for your file.
Also please find out exactly what size beam the engineer porposes to use to hang the bell, so
that the plate at the top can be made suitable. We need this information as soon as possible.
The Hillsborough Historical Society placed an order for a bell which had formerly been at
Longton, and made a deposit of;E500. They wish to be released fromi this order, and agree to
pay Eayre & Smith E241 to be released. This is 10% of the purchase price of£185, plus E56 for
work that Eayre & Smith performed on the Longton bell. Eayre & Smith are willing for this to
be deducted from the deposit of f-500, leaving a credit balance of f-259.
The Hillsborough Historical Society now wishes to purchase a bell cast in 1747 by Matthew
and James Bagley. This cost will be E1232 plus E54 for a resin pad, E20 for a steel mounting
plat, and E36 for drilling holes in the crown of the bell, plus packing, freight, and insurance to
Wilmington, N. C. The credit balance of E259 is to be applied against the costs of the Bagley
bell.
The Hillsborough Historical Society authorizes Eayre & Smith to proceed with this work, and
to ship the bell as soon as possible.
Yours very truly,
213 Hancock Street, New Bern, North Carolina 28562
telephone: 919-834-0579 - fax: 919-834-7229 - e-mai1:74367.2543@compuserve.com