GREENFIELD — Those who haven’t gazed at the 250-pound, colonial-era bell in the Garden Cinemas lobby have until mid-September to see local history up close before it heads to the Fire Station.
Theater co-owner Isaac Mass coordinated with Greenfield Mayor Ginny Desorgher to place the bell in the front lobby at 361 Main St. in April, and it will stay on site for the nation’s 250th birthday and enjoy its spot through Constitution Day, which is Sept. 17.
“I really wanted it to be on display,” Mass said. “I think it’s a powerful symbol, and we hope everyone gets a chance to see it.”
The bell was constructed at Paul Revere’s foundry and given to Greenfield resident David Wells in 1799. It hung in the old firehouse for a time until it was moved to Greenfield Community College when the station was demolished. It remained on display at GCC until last summer, when it was put into storage and no longer viewable by the public. According to Mass, the bell will go to the new Greenfield Fire Station at 41 Main St. come Sept. 18.
The object’s arrival to the Garden Cinemas coincided with the April 2 opening of “A Great Awakening.” That film, which chronicles the unlikely friendship of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin and the Rev. George Whitefield, featured a similar bell on its promotional poster. The David Wells bell, Mass said, will be particularly poignant for the Fourth of July and the opening of “Young Washington,” which tells the pre-Revolutionary origin story of this country’s first president.
“The bell is this piece of history that is not unlike the Garden, which is a piece of history,” he said. “It’s a piece of history that connects us to our forefathers, Greenfield’s forefathers.”
The David Wells bell is in an approximately 3-by-4-foot Plexiglas case. According to Greenfield Recorder archives, it was given to the city in the mid-1800s and installed in the schoolhouse on Federal Street. In 1857, it was moved to the Chapman Street School, where it remained for 79 years. In 1936, it was placed at the cupola of the now-demolished firehouse at 412 Main St.
It was removed from Main Street in the early 2000s and moved to various Greenfield sites, including the basement of the Leavitt-Hovey House at 402 Main St., before it was brought to GCC when the city tore down the Fire Station to make room for the new library.
Mass also mentioned that bells play a significant role in American history, citing the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and the fact that two lanterns in the Old North Church’s bell tower in Boston signaled to Patriots that British soldiers were crossing the Charles River.
Desorgher said she is thrilled that the city managed to partner with the Garden Cinemas to display the bell.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to see a piece of Greenfield’s early history while we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary,” she said in a statement.
“When it comes to brilliant marketing tie-ins and partnerships across sectors, Isaac Mass is your man,” Hannah Rechtschaffen, the Greenfield Business Association’s executive director, said in a statement. “His creative ways of tying the modern independent movie theater into attractions, contests, learning opportunities and historical interests from Greenfield and well beyond are truly unmatched, and we’re so grateful to have him and his wife Angela as business owners in Greenfield.
“They take movie-going to the next level with every new premiere, and featuring the Bell on display is no exception,” she added.
Patriot Party
The theater will also host a Patriot Party on Thursday, July 2, at 6 p.m., offering early access to see “Young Washington.”
The Garden Cinemas will give away free America 250 key chains, and patrons are encouraged to wear their best red, white and blue gear. Additionally, the theater partnered with the Boston Beer Co. to have a limited quantity of its Brewer Patriot Collection.
