First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Ill

First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield’s 9-ton Bronze Bell is the Village’s “Heartbeat.”

The bell hanging in the belfry tower at 824 Waukegan Rd., had chimed on the half hour and the hour between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. since November, 1966. That is until 2021 when it fell silent.

In 1966, the 18,700-pound bell was cast at the firm Petit & Fritsen of Aarle-Rixtel in the Netherlands and, according to published reports at the time, was the single largest tuned bell in the world. More accurately, the “Saint Paul Bell” is described as the largest unaccompanied tuned church bell in the world. The bell, according to an article from a Dutch newspaper, was donated anonymously on the occasion of the church’s 90th anniversary.

During installation, disaster nearly befell the effort to get it in the belfry. Because the belfry is as much as 80 feet high and the bell sits 10 feet from the top, a crane had to be used to get the bell upward. According to church history, in October, 1966, as the bell was being hoisted into the Founders Tower, where it is housed, the final extension of the boom on the crane snapped, causing it to fall into the tower and pinning a workman in the tower itself. The workman sustained a broken leg. Extensive damage was done to the structure. The bell was hoisted again a month later. In September, 1967, the Founders Tower was dedicated. On Sundays and other special services, the bell is activated by the organist as needed during the worship service, according to Raymond Craig, a long-time church member at the time.

Today, not only has the bell-strike mechanism failed, but the support structure that upholds it is at risk as well. The vibrations of a nearly 9.5-ton bell ringing out to our village for the past 50+ years have taken their toll. Rain and wind have taken their toll. The masonry of the upper tower needs repair to ensure stability and to reverse the damage to the mortar and brick. The companies that installed the bell and completed the masonry work on the lower tower both are ready to assist with these repairs.

We Need Your Help to Save the Bell!

First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2026. Our hope is that the bell will safely ring in its home for the momentous dedication. You may notice that the rebuilding has begun with scaffolding assembled around the Founders Tower. The bids to repair the bell-strike mechanism and to restore the stability and safety of the bell tower structure total $257,000. Please join this Go Fund Me campaign with a goal of $57,000 to rebuild a sense of community and continuity as the bell keeps the time, calls us to worship, and reminds us with its “joyful noise” of God’s presence in the world. Thank you for your support!

Other interesting facts of First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield’s history: Mr. Lyman Wilmot, an original founding member of the church, used his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad during the 1800s. Also, there was a memorial service held at the church in the late 1990s for Robert Lewis Bell, a longtime resident of the village. Who was he? The original Bozo the Clown.

Pictured below: Workmen prepare to hoist nearly 9.5-ton bell to the top of Founders Tower, November 1, 1966.

Pictured below: Deteriorated tower brick, mortar and cross beam in 2024.