Editor’s note: George Raynor, editor of the Salisbury Post, covered the first New Year’s Eve celebration at the Bell Tower. His report appeared in the Post on January 1, 1975.
Good will and cheer overflowed last night as more than 200 Salisburians gathered at the base of the Old Presbyterian tower to ring in the New Year.
The long-stilled tones of the big bell rang out through the drizzly night in what was the most unusual community observance of the arrival of the New Year in decades. The cold and intermittent rain probably kept many at home but a large crowd filled the space in front of the vestibule of the Tower and over to the Neighboring First Union National Bank portico.
The celebrants were in a happy mood. Many of them were members of the Historic Salisbury Foundation and had helped in the fight to preserve the picturesque tower, the last remnant of the old Presbyterian church. To these the short watch service represented a milestone in the effort to preserve the historic nature of Salisbury. Evidence of the repair work now under way on the Tower was seen in the scaffolding and materials on the ground.
The exuberance of the moment was more evident than the timing. Madison Hoover, the long-time bell ringer at the old church, started pulling the rope before midnight arrived and some time after the strains of “Auld Lang Syne” had died away. But horn-blowing from nearby cars indicated when midnight arrived, and the bell continued tolling for 10 minutes or so. Adults and children crowded into the chamber, once the main entrance to the church, to take their turn at pulling the rope. Hoover obviously was pleased at being able to take part in the ceremony, and his amateur assistants enjoyed making the bell resound.
The crowd started arriving before 11:30 p.m. and by the time the ceremony started the area in front of the Tower was crowded. Many of those in front of the crowd carried lighted candles.
Miss Edith Clark, retired librarian and daughter of a former pastor, briefly discussed the coming of the first settlers and the early church development in Salisbury. The denominations at that time were sometimes without a building of their own for worship, she said, and consequently the denominations used one another’s buildings when needed. This unity among churches, she said, should be reflected in the preservation of the Bell Tower. She said it was a symbol of the religious feeling of the whole town, not only the Presbyterians.
Ed Clement, president of the Historic Salisbury Foundation, substituting for an ailing minister, gave an invocation, saying, “As this ancient bell rings out with hope for a new tomorrow, help us rededicate ourselves to our families, in our community and to our country. Guide us and strengthen us. Give us hands that create, a heart that feels, a mind that dares dream.”
Some members of the crowd went to the Hall House, headquarters for the Historic Salisbury Foundation, where a brief reception was held.
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