The church bell in Enfield, CT, donated by a slaver, now rings to commemorate freedom on Juneteenth

At the top of Enfield’s United Congregational Church of Christ hangs a bell that tells a story as complicated as American history. Once, he called for typical church and town business; to mark baptisms and weddings, but in the last four years its sound has become comprehensive, especially to honor the black slaves of old Enfield.

rev. Dr. Greg Gray, the church’s leader for the past four years, said his church’s history runs deep.

“So this is the oldest institution in the city,” Gray said. “We were the original town hall. All original town records are original church records. There was no Enfield before there was us.”

The smell of musty beams opens a portal to the past at the top of the endless stairs at the top of the church.

Captain Ephraim Pease, donated the bell in 1794. He was a charter member of both the church and the town, but was also a slave owner. Reformed in 1830 due to a crack, the bell still bears Pease’s name.

“They moved here from Salem, Massachusetts,” Gray said. “If you look at the original census, you’ll see that it lists all the family members and then it says plus two slaves. Like we don’t get names or anything where they come from.

Enfield boasts a rich history. Powder Hollow in Hazardville, part of Enfield, provided 40% of all the gunpowder used during the Civil War.

Ayannah Brown

/

Connecticut public

“They sold gunpowder in the Civil War, people will tell you — to Union officers — but they also sold it to the Confederacy,” Gray said. “There is actually a story of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, that he came and spent the night here in Enfield while he was working on getting gunpowder for the Southern troops as well. That’s how capitalism works in wartime, is you sell to both sides.”

Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

“We remember that the bell was donated by a slave owner and that on Juneteenth, we ring the bell for freedom, that we use the master’s tools to tear apart the master’s house,” Gray said.

In 2020, following the death of George Floyd and global protests against racial injustice, the bell rang for every minute that the police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck. The bell was also rung to honor the victims of COVID-19.

Dr. Gray said this is part of his church’s commitment to an “open and affirmative” stance, emphasizing inclusivity and drawing a diverse congregation from neighboring towns such as Suffield, Somers and South Windsor, as well as Massachusetts communities such as Agawam and Feeding Hills. . This mission includes upholding inclusion for Pride Month and supporting mental health awareness initiatives.