For Whom the Paul Revere Bell Tolls

The weather outside may have been frightful, but the first peals of Boston’s Old South Meeting House newly-installed Paul Revere Bell were, in a word, delightful.

At 12:00 pm on 1/12/2012, the historic Westborough Paul Revere bell rang 12 times. It was the first time in 136 years that a bell has rung out on the hour from Old South. Despite the driving rain and windy weather, dozens of onlookers were there to witness the historic event.

“Nearly a hundred thousand people pass by this corner of Boston each day and this bell will reach every one of those people,” said Mayor Thomas Menino.

That’s a revolutionary step for this historic bell cast in 1801 by Paul Revere for the town of Westborough. The bell, owned by the First Baptist Church, was acquired by Old South Meeting House as part of its 1766 Clock Tower renovation.

“We are so grateful to the town of Westborough, for its residents, and for the First Baptist Church for their ongoing support of the project and the joyous way they have received us as the recipients of this bell,” Robin DeBlosi, marketing director at Old South told me. “This day has been a great delight for us.”

Thanks to Robin, I was granted access to the steeple, where a few journalists huddled together in the small, colonial belfry to witness up close the ringing of the bell. As I climbed the steep wooden stairs and listened to the bell chime for the first time in over a century, I felt a chill run down my spine that was not brought on by the driving, cold rain outside.

(Listen to the bell’s first chimes on WBUR’s Radio Boston)

After the historic noon chime, project advisor James Storrow, horologist David Hochstrasser, and craftsman Jeff Makholm remained busy tweaking the mechanisms of the bell.

At one point, Jeff offered me a small strike hammer to strike the bell. I stepped up, took the hammer, and tentatively tapped the base of the 876-pound bell.

“Harder!” Jeff encouraged me.

On the second swing I gave it all I had. The Revere bell reverberated with a majestic reply.

For a moment, time stood still.