Over the last week, two iconic bells found their historic roosts again in Lincoln County. The return of these bells forms a little lump in our throat. The bells themselves, like the spirit of this community, needed no replacement, only the structures that supported them.
Atop Academy Hill in Newcastle, Lincoln Academy had its belfry replaced and its bell refurbished after the structure was deemed unsafe in fall 2022, and the fog bell down at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park in Bristol was attached to a new, sea-facing beam after January storms destroyed the building it was anchored to.
It’s hard not to imagine the students and teachers that have passed by the bell at school and the ships that were warded from the county’s coast. The sound and sight of these bells are as much as a part of Lincoln County life as waves crashing down at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and the groans of students given an extra homework assignment over the weekend.
Whether by sight or sound, both bells have served at their respective posts for well over 100 years and were cast by Henry Hooper, of Boston, Mass., in the 1800s. Hooper apprenticed in the foundry started by Paul Revere.
The return of these cast-iron giants to their perches is a reminder Maine’s history is not something that only exists in textbooks. It is a narrative that is lived and every day is shaped by the character and spirit of its people.
While the fog bell no longer sounds, Lincoln Academy’s bell is rung when the school’s sports or academic teams win conference, regional, or state titles.
We commend Bristol Parks Commission members, the team at Lincoln Academy, and all involved for restoring a bit of normalcy to the Lincoln County coastline and skyline. Place is important in our collective identity, and we’re feeling a bit more sound with the bells’ return.
