b'(AGAIN)AnyonetravellingindowntownPortPerryafewA group of concerned citizens, led weeks ago would have noticed a scurry of activity aroundby Bill Brock, President of the Lake Town Hall 1873 at the corner of Queen and Simcoe Streets.ScugogHistoricalSociety,organ-On February 28 the Bell tower on top of the iconic Townized a committee to save the historic Hall 1873 was carefully removed from its place.building. ThetowerhasdeterioratedovertheyearsandFundraisinge ortstookplace needs to be completely rebuilt. Its location, highandthevolunteercommitteefor above the streetscape, exposes the structure toTown Hall 1873 leased the build-the worst aspects of the weather.ing from the Town Council. A This is not therst time that the bell tower hascomplete restoration was under-had to be replaced. The original tower of 1873 hadtaken, including a brand new bell deteriorated and was removed around 1900.tower. Again, in 1950, debris from the deterioratingAs part of the restoration, pho-tower began falling onto the street below.Thistographs of the original bell tower second tower was removed in 1951, but this time,were found and a new tower was it was not replaced. Instead a simple roof capcreated.Financed through a do-was built on the roof.nationbythefamilyofformer By 1974 the entire Town Hall build- ReeveMerlinLetcher,and ingneededextensiverepairs.built by Dale Procunier and Ratherthanundertakecostlyothers, the new tower was repairs,theTownCouncilde- erectedandputinplacein cided that the structure should beJune 1975. demolished.Please turn to page 4PHOTO BY J. PETER HVIDSTEN, FOCUS ON SCUGOGFOCUS - APRIL 20193'