Revere Bell - Newport, NH
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 43° 21.872 W 072° 10.369
18T E 729077 N 4805179
This bell in a glass enclosure is located by the old courthouse that is on Main Street and was made by Paul Revere's firm in Massachusetts.
Waymark Code: WMFCDB
Location: New Hampshire, United States
Date Posted: 09/27/2012
Views: 3
In Newport, along Main Street, is the old court house, where a bell encased in glass is on display in front at sidewalk level.
The bell is located along Main Street, in front of the old Court House and Town Hall, on the north side of the street.
The enclosure is a glass cube with white painted corner supports and a shingled peaked roof. The bell is resting inside, on the edge. The yoke is tied to it on top. Unfortunately, my picture of the front where the engraving is focussed on the glass, making the embossing impossible to read, but the historical text in the glass stated that it said "Revere - Boston."
The text is as follows:
"Newport's Revere Bell
This Revere bell hung in the belfry of the Newport Universalist-Unitarian Church from about 1837 until 1896 when it was sold to the Town of Newport for $200. In 1897 the bell was hoisted to the roof of the Town Hall for use as the town's main fire alarm and was used for the purpose until 1923 when the present horn was purchased. From 1923 until recent years it was used as an auxiliary alarm with the horn and also for tolling at the funerals of firemen. For the latter prupose it had an appropriately doleful tone. It was removed from the Town Hall roof in 1975 as and placed on this present site for display in November 1977.
The exact age of the bell is unknown. It almost certainly was made after 1802 as it is not listed in "The Early Bells of Paul Revere" covering the period 1792-1802, and showing the names and locations of the purchaser's of Paul Revere's first 46 bells. Nor could it be one of those bells, bought second hand, because they are all marked with Paul Revere's full name as founder. Later ones are marked "Paul Revere And Son", or "Revere and Co.", or as in this case, "Revere - Boston."
Paul Revere's bell-casting business was carried on by Paul's son Joseph, after Paul's death in 1818 until 1828 when it passed to the Revere Copper Company which never undertook bell casting. So this bell must have been made before 1828.
Newport is fortunate in having two other Revere bells, one in the South Congregational Church, the other in the Baptist Church. Both of those bells date from 1822.
Vital Statistics: Weight 1200 lbs. Diameter: 3' 3" Height: 2' 9" Tone: A-flat."
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