A major project to complete an over 50-year dream is coming to a reality this week in Jefferson.

Final prep work began Wednesday on top of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower and yesterday the contractor, the Verdin Company, started installing the 42 additional bells to create a full four-octave carillon. Bell Tower Community Foundation President Carole Custer says some of the bells made quite a journey to get back to Jefferson.

“The 18 bells that are brand new had to come from the foundry in the Netherlands. So they have been on a ship and I think they were supposed to reach the port in New York on May 10th. And then they had to be transported to Cincinnati where the Verdin Company is and they are being inscribed with donor names.”

Since Custer got on the Bell Tower Community Foundation Board less than ten years ago, they didn’t actually start to make the $450,000 project a reality until recent years.

“If there’s anytime we can do this, it’s our 50th-anniversary. So we really pushed hard to encourage people to buy bells and I am so appreciative of the families that did that.”

All of the bells are anticipated to be installed by May 31st. To hear more from Custer, listen to Thursday’s Community State Bank Let’s Talk Greene County program for part one of our two part series, as well as this coming Monday’s program.