The Lincoln Academy bell tower. The removal of the tower was delayed due to a mechanical issue with the crane. A new date for the removal has not yet been scheduled. (Photo courtesy Lincoln Academy)
The removal of Lincoln Academy’s bell tower has been delayed from its original date of Saturday, Sept. 9.
A mechanical issue with the crane set to be used for the removal necessitated the delay, according to Jenny Mayher, the school’s communication director. A new date has not yet been set.
One of the most recognizable icons of the LA campus for over 150 years, the bell tower requires restoration due to structural issues, school administrators said during an interview in August.
“The issue is mostly about the bell itself not being in a position where we can ring it anymore because it’s not structurally supported in the way it needs to be,” Head of School Jeff Burroughs previously said.
The removal of the tower is the first of a three-phase restoration project. Once removed, the belfry will be evaluated and the restoration and/or repair work will be put out to bid and the bell will be transported to The Verdin Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio, where it was originally cast, for repairs.
The second phase of the project will deal with the structural issues of the tower itself, the extent of which may not be fully known. Of the four posts that run from the tower to the school’s basement, two are no longer touching supports, Burroughs said.
An engineering study will show where the posts need to go to support the tower, as well as whether any of the support beams in the building need to be replaced in order to accommodate those locations.
The third and final phase will be to replace the belfry and return the bell to their respective locations.
The estimated $100,000 to complete the first phase of the project has already been raised through pledges and commitments from community members. The school has kicked off a Save the Bell campaign to raise money for phases two and three, which the total cost has not yet been figured.
The total cost of the project will be completed with private funds, Burroughs said.
For more information about the Save the Bell campaign, go to lincolnacademy.org/support/save-the-la-bell.
