For whom the bell tolls

The Lansdale Borough Parks and Recreation Department is looking into the history of a bell in the possession of former Mayor Mike DiNunzio and the possibility of that bell having a permanent home at a park in the borough.

Councilwoman and committee chair Mary Fuller said the bell and the request by DiNunzio to donate it to the borough are under discussion in committee.

“We have to find out if there is a historical connection with the bell in Lansdale,” Fuller said.

She said the bell was built for a church in Sumneytown. It ended up in a junkyard and was eventually purchased by a local lawyer. The bell was then put on display in front of a furniture shop.

“It’s not as sexy and glamorous (a story) as I would have liked,” Fuller said. ‘The thought is to add this to one of our parks.”

The last time there was such an effort to dedicate a bell to the borough involved the bell that sat at the top of St. Stanislaus School.

After much push by the public, the bell eventually found a new home in the newer part of St. Stanislaus Cemetery.