Angier, North Carolina - Backyard School Bell Collection

We also drove out to McGees Crossroad to see the bell display. The directions are close enough that we did find the bells, but they are on Old Fairground Road, not Massengill Mill Road, which we did not see at all. No one at the nearby store knew anything about the mill. The bells were collected by the husband of a school teacher many years ago. We were told that the bells are school bells, and that there are more that were never mounted. [Les Parker, 08/13/2000]

[RA: Update - June 2004 - Ric Carter sent us a local news clipping. The bell tower at Coats Homestead (created by the late Robert and Addie Coats) is now owned by the Pleasant Grove Extension Homemakers Club. The traditional "Ringing of the Bells" occurs at 5 pm on July 4th.]

"The Bell Man" (made up title because I don't know who owns it) - some man/woman has erected this giant platform and scaffold in their own backyard and has hung a collection of HUGE church bells from it. The scaffold stands between 30 and 40 feet high (just guessing - it's more than twice the height of the first floor). There are 15-20 bells of various sizes - most 3 feet tall and larger. All appear operational, and there are ropes attached to each. [Walker Blanchard, 11/17/1998]