Police Say Historic Church Bell Stolen in Upper Hudson Valley

Anyone happen to spot a missing church bell that weighs over a half a ton?

Police in the Hudson Valley are looking for a historic church bell that they say went missing early last week. According to CBS, the 145-year-old bronze bell was last seen on the evening of Monday, April 24.

Historic Church Bell Reported Missing in Columbia County 

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office says the Meneely Old Chatham Bell was last seen on the property of the Malden Bridge Community Center, where it was displayed on the lawn. Police say the missing bell is around 4 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and weighs over 1,200 pounds. News 10 says that the bell, which was first made for a church in Chatham, has all the pastor and trustees names marked on it.

Center President  Lucinda Buckley said the bell went missing between 7 PM April 24 and 7 AM April 25.

See Also: Hudson Valley Couple Arrested For Allegedly Stealing From Local Cemetery

The Malden Bridge Community Center posted on their Facebook page that a "$3,500 reward is being offered to the person providing information which either results in the recovery of bell in its original condition or in the arrest and conviction of the individuals who stole the Old Chatham Bell from its location in Malden Bridge NY."

According to News 10, the bell was first put together for the Old Chatham Methodist Church and stayed there for over 80 years until the church was torn down. In 1975, the bell was moved to Malden Bridge.

Oddly enough, something similar happened in 2014 when s brass church bell, weighing over a ton, went missing in Gloversville. Officials said the bell was set to be moved to the Fulton County Museum when it went missing. A quick Google search does not seem to indicate if the bell was ever found or not.