GREENWOOD (KFSM) – The historic bell tower is ringing again in the center of Greenwood, after repairs were made to the bell and the clock was replaced.
“There's a lot of people in Greenwood that has never experienced listening to that bell ring. This is a huge day for Greenwood, Arkansas,” Mayor Doug Kinslow said Thursday (Dec. 17).
“My promise to the city was that it would be working before the end of the year,” Parks Director Richard McKinney said.
The clock survived a tornado in 1968, but it didn’t always work perfectly after that, so a new one was ordered, according to McKinney. The 1917 bell had its silver paint stripped off to expose the bronze.
Kinslow and McKinney said they are not sure of the last time both the clock and the bell were working together.
“We think we've got a couple of generations of kids that have never heard this bell ring, or see the clock work,” McKinney said.
The bell will ring on the hour from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. each day. The clock will automatically adjust for Daylight Saving Time.
“It's going to be cool to be able to stand down here and hear that bell ring,” Kinslow said. “It just gives you a good feeling.”
McKinney said they came in under budget on the project, which was expected to cost about $50,000. He also said they’ll be fine-tuning the bell until it sounds perfect.