Noblesville history group hopes to restore school bell hidden away for 50 years

By: Taj Simmons

NOBLESVILLE — Noblesville is proud of its historic buildings, but maintaining old infrastructure can be costly. The Noblesville Preservation Alliance is taking on a potentially expensive project to save the bell of a long-demolished school.

The organization recently received Seminary School's old bell from the Noblesville School District. The bell has been in storage since the school was demolished in 1969 and the Alliance is raising money to return it to its former home.

"The bell is in need of restoration," Noblesville Preservation Alliance executive director Joshua Glassburn-Ruby said. "Preserving it and putting it in Seminary Park is our goal for the proceeds."

Glassburn-Ruby was hired as the organization's first executive director this year. It was founded as a volunteer organization to save the Craig House from demolition in 1987.

"There was a lot of history here, but it wasn't really being respected," founding member Kurt Meyer said. "I do see people take it for granted. They treat it like it was always this way when it was not."

Glassburn-Ruby hopes to raise money through a gala on April 24 to establish a grant program and keep Noblesville's historic structures postcard-worthy.

"A lot of people do not know that the Noblesville Preservation Alliance is one of the main reasons why everything in this area still looks the way that it does," Glassburn-Ruby said.

Meyer said it is powerful to reflect on how the attitude toward historic preservation in Noblesville has changed since the organization started speaking for the buildings.

"Sometimes you have to fight, sometimes it gets unpleasant when you have to disagree with a governmental body, but you will bring people along with your enthusiasm over time," Meyer said.