Across from Jeannette City Hall, bell is relic of Clay Avenue School

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A bell that no longer rings remains at the site of a Jeannette school that is no longer there.

The large bell, now underneath a concrete shelter of sorts, at one time sat in a tower at the former Clay Avenue School. The school has been demolished, leaving behind an empty lot across Clay Avenue from city hall.

Fire Chief Bill Frye remembered playing on the bell as a child, but it wasn’t until later in life he learned about its history.

“When I got older I found out,” he said.

The Clay Avenue School opened in 1892, according to Donna McCullough, activities director with the Jeannette Historical Society. It served as a high school, and its first graduating class in 1893 consisted of eight pupils.

A yearbook from 1923 indicated high schoolers went to class in a new building on Fourth Street. McCullough said the Clay Avenue building then became a grade school.

The 1971-72 school budget called for the end of classroom activities at the building as a money-saving measure, according to newspaper archives. The article indicated the building would be used for office space and special education classes. It closed in the late 1970s.

The building was demolished in 1981, McCullough said. It’s unclear how long the bell has been at its current location. It was cast by Chaplain-Fulton Manufacturing in Pittsburgh. Other markings include six names.

The vacant property is owned by the city now, and firefighters are planning to build a new station on it. That might be about a year away, but the bell is part of the consideration in design plans.

“We were trying to situate the building further to Cuyler Avenue where we don’t have to move that,” Frye said.

If that doesn’t end up being possible, the bell will be returned to the school district.