Name/Title
Old School bell plaque 11:1:13Description
A ceremony formally dedicating the 100+-year-old Pinole-Hercules School #1 school bell adjacent to the multi-purpose room at Collins Elementary School was held Saturday, January 25, 2014, celebrating the restoration of the last remnant of the school that served generations of Pinole and Hercules students from 1906 to 1966.
The school was demolished in 1968.
A crew of expert West Contra Costa Unified School District maintenance workers installed the school bell that rang several generations of Pinole and Hercules students to class. The district later installed a bronze plaque on the wall behind the “Old School” bell.
The installation of the bell concluded a five-year effort by the Pinole Historical Society Board of Directors to have the bell refurbished and placed on display in a public setting for all Pinoleans to enjoy.
The school district rescued the bell from its outdoor location at Pinole Middle School, where it had been subject to the elements for several decades.
The bell, rusted and pock-marked, was placed in storage in several locations — it was found on a contractor’s property, outdoors and in the rain — until mid 2013, when the WCCUSD authorized its restoration. The bell was sandblasted, power-coated with a satin black finish, and sealed.Copyright
Copyright Holder
Pinole Historical Society
