Engineers and Monks on the same page with Bell Tower



Village Bell Tower



The Village Bell Tower is slated to be raised to a higher elevation along with four other town businesses in the next few months.  The Village Bell Tower, one of the oldest structures in the village has local engineers seriously concerned about the tower's structural integrity should it be moved.  There are a significant amount of loose roof tiles as well as aged mortar.  Some of the local monks who pull the bell tower strings and reside in the tower have voiced their concerns to the Town Mayor.   

The Village Bell Tower has an interesting past.  The structure, according to local historians, has stood at it's current location for longer than any recorded village historical period.  Local historians believe the structure was originally built in the 1700's but the exact date is unknown.  They do know that the structure has been altered and renovated over time.  The ornate pillars were believed to have been added at some time as well as the tile roofing.  The clock is rung every hour on the hour by the local monks and this is taken very seriously.  Most visitors to the town comment on the soothing chimes and enjoy the regularity of it all.  Locals also respond well to the hourly bells.  For some this is an excellent way to keep time.  The local historians also believe that the clock face feature that keeps time currently was an added feature to the tower.  Originally, only the bell chimes kept the time. 

The next time you visit the Village Bell Tower, be sure to take a walk around the property.  Not only is the view magnificent from the property overlooking the village, the fauna around the building is stunning!  There are low and thick shrubs that surround the building as well as creeping flowers and vines.  It's quite stunning to see the mature landscaping.  In fact, this is also one of the concerns the Bell Tower grounds-keepers face as it pertains to the relocation. 

Both the Engineers and the monks who oversee the Village Bell Tower's day to day operations favor an alternate method of elevation change for the West End.  They both agree that "fill material" should be injected under the existing sites.  This could prove to be a more extensive and expensive procedure however the risks to the individual structures and historical references would be less than the actual building relocation to a higher elevation.  The method is gaining popularity among many business owners affected by this change.