In 1860, in Sheffield, England, a 30-inch diameter steel bell, serial number 1513, was made by a company called Naylor Vickers (NV). According to an NV advertisement of that year, “They have a very pure melodious sound, peculiar to cast steel; and as the elasticity of this material seems to produce more powerful vibrations, their sound penetrates to a greater distance.”

Not everyone was a believer. There were stories of bells “succumbing” to rust and pollution and thereby going out of tune, which only added to the chorus of those who made disparaging remarks. Said Albert Cocks, a particularly opinionated observer of the time, “Steel bells are in my humble opinion an abomination which ought to be prohibited by Act of Parliament.”

Strong words indeed, but Rev. David L. Cawley, a bell historian, notes that steel bells did have their place. “Their great attraction was of course their relative cheapness, and their comparative lightness despite their size. Thus in 1864 a bronze bell of 48-inches diameter and sounding the musical note E would weigh a ton and cost £177. A steel one the same diameter and note would weigh 14-cwt and cost £66. Steel bells are much thinner than their bronze counterparts, and the cast metal is in any case lighter for a given size.”

It may have been the more reasonable cost, combined with the lesser weight, which brought this bell to Grantham, New Hampshire, although its journey didn’t end there. In 1892, John Hay and his wife acquired the bell and donated it to Newbury’s c. 1832 Center Meeting House (CMH) during a restoration that they strongly supported.

The CMH bell has been reasonably well maintained, as the identification on it is still very readable and not rusted out. Unfortunately, NV company records are missing, so George Dawson of Sheffield is compiling a database of bells produced by the company. His data shows only one bell being cast in 1853 and one final bell being cast in 1899, which seems to be the span of years for these interesting bells. Cawley reported “…an output of 7,500 bells, ranging from 7-tons to 35-lbs, confirmed to a comparatively short overall period is something in which any founder might take pride.” Other than the occasional patchwork, there has been no meaningful maintenance accomplished on the belfry in 177 years.

Tour to save the bell
The Center Meeting House of Newbury, in association with the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, hopes to restore the bell tower and the finely tuned steel bell. As a fundraiser, they are offering a grand summer tour of eight historic lake and farm homes in the Lake Sunapee area Saturday, Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. NEAJ offers you a photographic sample of the tour as a respite from the hectic antiques shows of Manchester.

DEVONDALE

In 1784, James Gillingham, Sr. settled on what is now the east side of Gillingham Drive. He and his son, James, Jr. acquired four of the 100-acre lots in the area and in 1813 young James built a modest cape. After many years of neglect, the property was acquired in 1991 by the current owners. In 1996, out buildings were restored, and a shop was built. Three years later, an addition to the house was constructed and by 2008, the old cape had been completely restored. Near the northeast corner of the original house stands the largest pitch pine in the United States.

JOSHUA EATON HOUSE

Joshua Eaton built his Federal style house in Bradford in 1814. A succession of barns and sheds has been added, but the house itself has seen remarkably few changes. Around 1824, the walls of two front rooms and the center hall were painted by Rufus Porter in one of his earliest efforts as a muralist. He was accompanied by Moses Eaton, a relative of the home owners, who stenciled an upstairs bedroom.

UNEEDAREST

Built in the late 1880s, this Victorian Cottage, complete with beautiful lake and mountain views, was owned by one of the founders of the Holyoke Paper Company of Massachusetts. The current residents have owned the home for 29 years, and although they have totally renovated the exterior of the cottage, the interior woodwork, stained glass windows, and fireplace are all original to the cottage. Similar to all houses in Blodgett's, this one sits on small lot with the lake and beach across the street. The house is not handicap accessible, as there are 20 steps that lead to the front door.

ADIRONDACK LODGE

This Adirondack Lodge Home of white cedar logs and stone was built around 1915 as a summer lodge. The home has much of the original detail, including beams, woodwork and tree branch railings. It has three working fireplaces, including the original oversized living room fireplace, and sits high over the lake. The landscaping to the water has massive stone walls, carving out a switchback walkway. The owners have restored the porch and balconies in the original style and materials and have rebuilt the kitchen using original detailing in the handmade cabinets and local granite.

This side of the Center Meeting House has had new clapboards because the support columns and the clapboarding had been rotted by a long period of leaking roof. The leakage also damaged the support trusses, three of which had to be replaced also. The other three sides of the building still need restoration. Just peaking around the corner at the front of the building is the un-restored bell tower.

The bell tower taken down from the Center Meeting House.

GOVERNOR'S GRANT

Situated at the base of Mt. Sunapee, this 183-acre farm was part of a grant by Governor Wentworth to his daughter's husband, Thomas Packer, in the mid 1700s. It was the first land grant in the region; hence the property name, 'Governor's Grant.' At the turn of the 19th century, the land was transferred to James N. Eaton, the first Minister of Fishersfield, who built the cape in 1804. Since then, a 1740 Georgian Colonial style center chimney house and an 1800 English style threshing barn were dismantled and reconstructed on the property. The current residents finished the interior of the 1804 cape using 250-year-old white pine lumber they found stored in the basement.

NATLEH

This New York Adirondack style camp home was built on Lake Sunapee in 1910 by Henry and Edna Bowles. Their intent was to build a home that blended in with its surroundings. After purchasing 'Natleh' from the Bowles Estate 25 years ago, the current owners removed some of the white birch coverings on the exterior of the house, but the remaining timbers, shingles and rock foundation are intact and are in keeping with the original philosophy.

BLODGETT HOUSE

Built in 1899, this Blodgett's Landing cottage was built by George Blodgett, the first resident. The rustic interior open-beam construction remains as it was in 1899, with the exception of kitchen and bath updates.

FARM OF DISTINCTION

In the early 1900s, this farm was known as the Bly Farm. The random stone walls divided it into pastures for sheep and cows. By the mid 1900s, the growth of trees and brush took over the cleared pastures. In 1967 the current owners purchased the property, and as first-generation farmland owners, spent their time clearing land and re-establishing pastures and hay fields. The outbuildings were built from trees cut off the property, with lumber sawed from their own sawmill. The owners are proud to say their farm, selected as one of New Hampshire's 'Farms of Distinction,' is the only working farm in Newbury.