Historic Bells Removed from Endicott Church

Salvage crews used a crane to remove nearly a dozen bells that had been a fixture in a tower at an Endicott church for more than a century.

The bells at First United Methodist Church on McKinley Avenue recently were taken down one by one.

They were loaded onto a trailer to be transported to an unknown destination.

People at the church on the day the bells were being removed were unable to say where they were headed. The bells were donated to the church in 1920 by George F. Johnson's wife.

The process was overseen by Church Services Group, a Luzerne County company that specializes in removing items of value from closed churches.

Brian Regula, the owner of the company, said the bells, along with the beams and timbers associated with the chime system, were removed for reuse. He declined to say where they'll be used in the future because he had not received permission from the new owner.

First United Methodist Church closed last February. The property at the corner of McKinley Avenue and Monroe Street had been listed for sale for $499,000.

The site is under contract but representatives of United Methodists of Upper New York declined to identify the prospective buyer.

Some Endicott residents had hoped the closed church facilities could be used to establish a childcare facility for people who work nearby.

VIDEO: The bells of First United Methodist Church played before the final service in February 2023.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.