The Keegan Bell - Restoration and History
On November 5, 2016, the Geezer Corps of Woodstock (Lorin Rose, Tom Unrath, Jim Hanson and Richard Heppner) unveiled the restored Keegan Bell before an assembly of Woodstock citizens. The bell, as restored by the Geezer Corps, now sits next to the Mescal Hornbeck Community Center where it once rang out as a part of St. Joan's Catholic Church.
The Keegan bell is symbolic of a unique period in Woodstock history. Following the Civil War, as Woodstock's glassmaking industry faded and the profitable tanning industry began to wane, bluestone quarrying represented a major segment of the Woodstock economy. Equally important, the many Irish workers who undertook the hard work of quarrying the large stones along the base of Overlook and Ohayo Mountain, were representative of the greater immigration wave that made its way to our shores during the second half of the 19th century. Together, these workers, of which Peter Keegan was one, produced bluestone that was prized around the world. The project for public display of the Keegan bell honors this unique period in Woodstock history as well as those individuals who dedicated their lives to a specialized craft that once sustained our small town. In doing so, as they built their lives in Woodstock, their contributions and skills represent one more example of the unique individualism and diversity that fill the pages of Woodstock's story.
Richard Heppner
P.S. There is a time capsule placed by the Geezers in the base of the monument.
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| The restored bell. |
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| Lorin Rose, Tom Unrath, Jim Hanson |
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| On goes the roof: Lorin Rose, Jim Hanson |
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| Wrapping up: Lorin Rose, Tom Unrath |
