Knox Church Bell
Posted by: 
cyclops53
N 53° 54.969 W 122° 44.955
10U E 516469 N 5974221
Prince George has been home to the KNOX CHURCH BELL since 1912. Too heavy to put into a church tower, it was placed near the ground where it was rung until the church closed in 2018. It is still rung on special occasions.
Waymark Code: WM18HW4
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/07/2023
Views: 0
History of the Old Bell:
• The original church bell still sits proudly on the front lawn of the former Knox United Church, where it was rung every Sunday since June 1914 to call it’s congregation to church services.
• The bell was likely shipped by CP Rail to Ashcroft, then to Soda Creek by BX Freight Wagon, and finally by BX Paddle Wheeler on the Fraser River to South Fort George. It was hauled by horse and wagon to the new church.
• The Presbyterian Church was one of the largest buildings in the area and it doubled as a concert auditorium.
• The bell only hung for a short period of time. It had to be taken down because the bell tower was not sturdy enough to support such a large bell. When it rang, it rocked the whole building.
• Unfortunately, that original church burned down in 1923. It was hoped that when a new church was built in 1922 the bell would be housed in its tower. However, when the bell was rung, they discovered that the new tower was not strong enough either. So, the bell was left lying in the back alley for about forty years. No one could decide what to with it.
• An elder of Knox, Mr. Ken Irwin, worked many years trying to build a new stronger tower for the bell. Eventually he created the current setting for the bell and rescued it from the back alley and the scrap metal yard.
Subject: City
Commemoration: City of Prince George Heritage Commission
Date of Founding: The BELL was brought to PG in 1912
Date of Commemoration: June 2018 (?)
Address:
Knox United Church (now the Knox Performance Centre) is located at 1448 5 Ave, Prince George, BC V2L 3L7. The Bell is between the church and a Preschool on former Church property..
Overview Photograph:
Yes
Detail Photograph:
Yes
Web site if available: [Web Link]
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