St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill bell unveiled after rescue

From Buffalo-

If the frantic efforts to salvage the 1,000-pound bell from the wreckage of St. Mary’s-on-the- Hill Episcopal Church took a toll on local preservationist Tim Tielman, he certainly didn’t seem any worse for the wear Monday.

As executive director of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo, Tielman enthusiastically presided over the unveiling of the 114-year-old bell during his organization’s annual meeting, regaling about 25 participants with his tale of the bell’s salvaging. He invited those in attendance to take turns ringing the bell as it hung from its temporary residence on a tree in a yard on Columbus Parkway.

“This bell of St. Mary’s-on-theHill has been tolling here for over 100 years, and it is . . . here now because this is a thriving, vibrant community,” said Kathy Mecca, a neighborhood resident who was instrumental in finding temporary storage for the bell.

The bell summoned parishioners to the landmark St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill at Niagara and Vermont streets from 1893 until the church’s closing in 1994, after which the neglected building fell into disrepair. On May 5, the bell tower of the building collapsed and Tielman was alerted by someone who had heard about it while monitoring a police scanner.

More here-

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/06/29/1098023/st-marys-on-the-hill-bell-unveiled.html