“Ringing in the New Year”
Submitted by Carol Goggi
The Westfield Historical Society held a raffle fundraiser where the 1st prize winner would get to ring the town bell 21 times to mark 2021 (and say Goodbye to 2020) at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The Town Bell is located at the Reeve House. The winner was Nicole Bresnahan. In addition to the privilege of ringing in the New Year and a new decade, Nicole also won a $100 Gift Certificate courtesy of Chez Catherine Restaurant and a bottle of champagne.
The Westfield Town Bell originally hung in the Prospect Street School from 1869 to 1921 where it also served as the town’s fire bell. The bell rang at armistice and at the end of WW I. From 1922-1985, it hung in the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Chapel’s steeple and subsequently became property of Presbyterian Church which later donated it to the Westfield Historical Society. During 1993-1994, it was restored with funds raised by the Westfield Historical Society, with the help of Jack R. Panosh (Town Bellmaster), Ralph H. Jones (Town Historian) and Richard Edge, of the Westfield DPW, for the Westfield Bicentennial in 1994. It was originally made by Vickers Sons & Co. Limited, Sheffield (England) in 1869 of cast steel.
For many years, the bell was displayed and rung during the Westfield Memorial Day parade and stored by the Westfield Historical Society. In 2019, a stone monument was erected by Alexander McGrail for his Eagle Scout Award project. The monument currently displays the bell on the grounds of the Reeve House. Recently, a roof and column structure was built by the Society to protect the bell for future generations to enjoy.
The Westfield Historical Society celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. Since 1968, the 501(c)(3) non-profit has worked to preserve, interpret and encourage interest in history, Westfield, and its residents through educational efforts and community outreach programs.
For more information on the Westfield Historical Society and their events, visit westfieldhistoricalsociety.org; follow on Instagram and like on Facebook.
