2011 – Bell Tower Renovation

The community of Hampton, like many others, is rich in memories of the joys and sorrows of the pioneers who laid the foundation of our village.

But like anything that has been standing for over 100 years–major restorations sometimes need to be made.

One of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in Hampton is the United Church. Many of our forefathers donated time and materials to construct our church. The cornerstone was laid on May 7, 1875. Over the past 136 years, the church has been home to many weddings, baptisms, funerals, Scouting and Guiding activities, Seniors’ activities… and the list goes on.

The problem with the bell tower stemmed from years ago (the 1930’s) when the steeple was hit by lightning and burned. The damage was cleared away and a flat roof put on the bell tower. However, in the summer of 2011, we became aware that a drain had either been installed improperly or was damaged resulting in rainwater draining inside the tower which, over the years weakened one brick wall to the point of caving in.

If we did not fix the tower before October 2011, the Municipality would close our church. Even if we wanted to sell the building, the tower would have to be fixed. As a church family, we were committed to keeping this historical property in the village. We have put much love and maintenance into the building during the past several years and wanted to see the church remain.

Repairs took place during the summer of 2011. The tower was partially dismantled to remove the affected bricks, and all the bricks that were still intact were saved for the rebuilding of the tower. The bell from the tower was removed during the demolition and was restored, before being put back in the tower. New bricks were put back on the inside of the tower, and the remaining old bricks were placed on the outside of the tower.  A new peaked roof was put on the tower to prevent future water damage to the tower and bell.

Steeple renovation complete!

The total cost of the tower restoration was $110,000.

Fundraising was undertaken to repay the loan the church undertook from the wider United Church and a large sign (pictured) was placed at the front of the church to inspire people to meet our goal.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who donated.

With your help, we raised the entire amount in only three years!

God bless all who made it possible!

The Hampton United Church