LUDLOW, Vt. – The United Church of Ludlow is throwing a “Ring Out Love” community celebration on Sunday, June 7, from 2-4 p.m., to thank the community for its support of the church’s newly restored, historic church bell.
Local favorite Sammy Blanchette (www.sammyblanchette.net) will provide music at the festive outdoor event. There will also be family-friendly games and ice cream on the lawn of the church, at 48 Pleasant Street in Ludlow. The highlight of the day will be the opportunity for people to pull on the rope and ring the 1,200-pound church bell, which was cast by the Holbrook Bell Foundry of East Medway, Mass., in 1839. In the event of rain, the celebration will be moved inside.
The United Church held a $50,000 fundraising campaign in 2024 and 2025 to fund the bell repair, to which church and community members have generously donated $52,455 so far, with more than $60,000 pledged. The funds have been used to repair the disintegrating supports on the bell, install a new sound system, make external repairs to the building, and donate to local aid organizations and neighbors in need.
The United Church of Ludlow, built in 1891 as the Congregational Church of Ludlow, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the only churches in Vermont constructed in a fully mature expression of shingle-style architecture. Its Congregationalist congregation was organized in 1806, and in 1930 it merged with a Methodist congregation to form a union congregation called the United Church of Ludlow. The bell itself has a fascinating story, which can be found on the United Church website. Bellmaker Maj. George Holbrook was actually apprenticed to Paul Revere, and the historic bell was valued at more than $100,000 14 years ago.
In early 2025, the members of the United Church of Ludlow voted to become an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and all marginalized people into the full life of the church. They also voted to become a Reconciling Congregation of the United Methodist Church.
Over the years, the United Church has become a community gathering place in Ludlow, hosting concerts, events, dinners, game nights, and meetings of local nonprofit organizations.