First United Methodist Church Bell - Tom Bean, TX
N 33° 31.551 W 096° 29.979
14S E 732206 N 3712384
The First United Methodist Church is at 7688 State Highway 11, Tom Bean, TX, and a vintage bell stands in front of the sanctuary.
Waymark Code: WMXB63
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 12/20/2017
Views: 1
This is a classic #28 church bell created by the C.S. Bell Company, sometime between 1894 and the 1970s. It is probably from a previous sanctuary, although it could have been from the old Perrin Air Force Base Chapel that is now the church sanctuary. A 1975 Texas Historical Marker provides some history:
This congregation was organized in the mid-1880s, growing out of brush arbor meetings at the Cedar Campground near Whitemound. The original church building at Whitemound was moved, in 1906, to Tom Bean, where it burned in 1924. Methodists worshiped in the Presbyterian church until it was destroyed by a tornado a short time later. A new edifice was built, serving both denominations until 1972. In 1974, the sanctuary was moved here, and the heritage of the old Perrin Air Force Base Chapel was preserved when it was added to the facility.
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There appears to be something left out of that narrative, pertaining to their current sanctuary, which is the old Perrin Air Force Base chapel (date of construction unknown), which replaced the previous sanctuary building after being moved here. The church website provides some background:
Perrin Air Force Base had announced its closing and was in the process of selling off its buildings, and the committee decided to attempt to purchase the chapel. The price for the chapel on base, complete with pews was $500. The $500 and a letter with the promise to preserve the heritage of the Perrin Air Force Base Chapel were sent to the Senior Chaplain of the Air Force. The First United Methodist Church of Tom Bean was awarded the right to purchase the Perrin Air Force Base Chapel in early 1973. The entire Tom Bean community - not just the Methodists, got involved in the project. The chapel was set on its foundation on May 21, 1974. The first worship service was held in the chapel on March 9, 1975. Ultimately, the church paid $42,000 for the chapel, two barracks, setup, brick, and cleanup of the former site. The church was able to create Sunday school classrooms, a Fellowship Hall with kitchen, as well as a beautiful new sanctuary. Over the years additional renovations to the space have been made.
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