by Mark Crow
Kendricks Creek United Methodist Church discovered in 2012 that repairs may be necessary to our bell tower and entranceway into the sanctuary. The reason had mostly to do with wood rot from rain water that had entered into he tower at several points. In late 2012, and early 2013, it became clear that a more extensive project would be necessary due to the extent of the damage and the rapid deterioration of the tower structure. At this point the church sought qualified construction companies to begin discussing the way forward. After a presentation by one of their project managers, the church chose Ron’s Millwright of Greeneville to perform a complete teardown and rebuild of the tower structure. While this project was not inexpensive, the church congregation came together to provide funding to begin the 3-4 month project. A new foundation, steps, tower structure, and bell tower will all be constructed to look as closely as possible to the original tower. Despite being over 100 years old, the cupola taken from the old tower has proven to be very sound structurally, and will be refurbished and reused.
Our bell tower has always been a beautiful symbol of our small, yet vital church. We are very blessed to be able to repair it so that generations to come can enjoy it’s beauty.
