On April 19 at 4:20 a.m., the bell in our steeple will toll to muster the troops, as minutemen gather to reenact the march to Concord in 1775 to fight for American independence.
Our bell, which continues to ring the hours in the heart of Wayland, was cast in 1814 by the Paul Revere and Son foundry in Boston’s North End. Paul Revere himself had ended his active partnership in the family firm some three years prior, at the age of 76, passing the day-to-day operations on to his son and grandson. Our bell was most likely cast by his son Joseph Revere, who had traveled to England to learn the techniques of metallurgy from European makers. It weighs 1,019 pounds.
The Revere foundry cast more than 900 bells of all sizes, of which 146 are known to survive. Of those, only 27 were cast during Paul Revere’s direct involvement in the foundry.
Our bell is not the only Revere product in our steeple. Lead-coated copper sheeting installed in the tower surrounding the bell in the early 2000s is stamped with the Revere company name.
The tolling of the bell in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, April 19, is a reminder of the bravery shown 250 years ago, when ordinary men and women stood up against tyranny.