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The Mystery of the Bell

There was a time, before the turn of the century, that everyday things at the Chester Academy included: bumping the fire, sharpening the quills, filling the ink wells, cleaning the blackboard, and ringing the school bell. That era ended abruptly when fire completely destroyed the school. 'Bout the only thing left was the bell that had rung in the school days for so many years.

Following the fire, a new school was built on what was then called "University Heights", east of what is now Oakland Avenue. Since electricity was the new order of the day, it was decided there was no need for a bell tower or bell.

"What was to be done with the bell?" became the topic of discussion of the school board. The President of the local board, being a member of a local church, which had a steeple, but no bell, made a notion. Another board member belonging to the same church seconded the motion. That motion called for giving the bell to their church. The remaining three board members who were members of another congregation, did not favor the motion, but had no choice but to vote for the motion or to appear quite selfish.

Before the transfer could be made, however, the bell disappeared! Almost thirty years went by, and fire once again claimed the University Heights school building. New land had been obtained, and yet another school building had been opened in 1937.

Time marched on and a total of about seventy years passed since the bell had disappeared. One day, a young new custodian had reason to go behind the boilers in the basement of the 1937 building. As there was little or no light in that area of the basement, he could not see so well and tripped over a rather large covered object. He got up, went for a light, and returned to see what it was he had tripped over.

Sure enough as he uncovered the object, his eyes fell upon the long lost bell. He had no idea from where it had originally come and reported his find to the principal. The principal, who was also fairly new to the district, did not know from where the bell had come.

Coincidentally, the story of the missing bell had been told to one of the board members just before it was found. The person who had related this story, Rev. Raymond Masters, was a student who attended the old Academy at the time of the fire, and his father had been the board president who made the original motion.

Could this bell, missing for seventy years, be the one that had rung in the old Academy? Where had it been for thirty years before before the 1937 building was built? How had it gotten behind the boilers? Who put it there? The answer to these and any remaining doubts was cleared up about a year later.

Two brothers, Frank and Harry, had been custodians for many years. Frank, the older of the two, had worked in the two building since the academy was destroyed. Harry, Frank's younger brother had helped move into the new ('37) building. Frank and Harry both worked in the 1937 building until they retired. Harry was asked if he knew anything about the bell, or how it was miraculously moved over the years, to its hiding place behind the boilers. A little sparkle appeared in Harry's eye, a smile appeared on his lips like the little boy who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He laughed and turned away.

The mystery had been solved; the questions had been answered. The bell was, in fact, the one that had pealed years before in the Chester Academy. It was appropriate the, that the original bell peal anew for the centennial graduating class of 1985, and that it ring each year.

The bell has now been moved from the bell tower of the Maple Avenue School to the new Chester Academy in 2004 and it now sits on display in the lobby.

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