Chardon United Methodist Church

The land on which Chardon stands was purchased from Peter Chardon Brooks in 1808, and the city is named after him.  He promised to give a bell to the first meetinghouse that was constructed in Chardon.  He provided the bell in 1834 while the Methodist Church was still under construction.  It would not be dedicated until 1836.

When a new church was built on the corner of Main and Center Streets, the bell was moved there.  When that church building was sold in 1961, the bell was moved to what is now the education wing of the church at 515 North Street.  For want of a bell tower, it sat on the concrete pad at the front entrance of the building.  No provision was made for a bell tower when the Sanctuary was built.  The bell continued to be used throughout these years.  It was tolled before services each Sunday morning.

Construction of a bell tower was expected to follow shortly after completion of the Sanctuary.  However, the years passed, and plans for it were not acted upon.  Finally in the late 1980’s, Bertha Haueter spearheaded a movement to build a tower for the bell.  The Trustees granted direct oversight of the project to an elected bell tower committee.  Committee members were Bertha Haueter (Chairperson), Jim Alvord, David Bevan, William Hansen, Mark Hoekstra, Reverend H. Bernard Magee Jr., John Stewart, and Mildred Welch. 

There was much discussion about what form the tower should take.  A traditional bell tower had much appeal.  However, it was agreed that a traditional bell tower is most appealing when viewed from a distance, and that the setting of the church, close to the road and on land sloping away, was not amenable to a traditional tower.  The bell tower of choice was designed and built by the I. T. Verdin company of Cincinnati.  It is a 40 ft Trinity Tower with a 10 ft cross.  The bell is mounted 18 ft from the bottom.  The bell was sent to I. T. Verdin for cleaning and electrification.  An electric striker was installed, and the tower was fitted with a carillon system. 

The bell tower was dedicated on August 6, 1989.  By that time, the bell had sat at the entrance of the education wing for over 27 years.