More than 30 people gathered to celebrate the unveiling of the bell from the former Paris High School tower on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
While the site at 70 King Edward St. may now be home to Queensview Retirement Community, it was once home to the first Paris High School. According to the Paris Museum and Historical Society archives, the high school opened 1895 and served the community until its closure in 1923.
After students relocated to a new facility on Grand River Street North, the building eventually became Queens Ward Elementary School before being demolished in the 1950s.
At that time, Murray Taylor and his daughter, Jean Cline, decided to salvage and preserve the bell, keeping it in their family’s possession for decades to come.
The Cline family eventually donated the bell to the Paris Museum, and with the assistance of 214 Carson Co., a family-owned real estate development firm based in Paris, it has now returned to its original home.
Jean’s son, Carey Cline, attended the unveiling alongside his wife Kathryn, daughters Lindsay and Michelle, and granddaughter Amelia. He told the crowd the bell had been a special part of his family throughout his life.
“My dad, Robert, had built a little mounting for the bell for my mom and grandfather in our backyard on Banfield Street, and there it hung for 30 years until we had to sell the house in the early 2000s. My niece’s family, the Rutledge family from up north in Shelburne, put it in storage and kept it safe for many years until recently when we could move it back here,” he said. “…I know that my late mom and late grandfather, who originally rescued and salvaged the bell from the site when the building was being torn down in the 1950s, would be just extremely delighted that its come full circle back to its original, permanent home, and I’m glad that it’s on display for the current and future generations to see.”
Brooke Hayward, Chief Operating Officer at 214 Carson Co., said that when the museum first approached the company for assistance with some things they wanted to achieve, restoring the bell just felt like the right fit.
“When we went through the list of projects, this was one that had sat on the back shelf for many, many years, and it was something they wanted to be able to bring back to the community,” she said. “Given that we’re a local developer, and that five generations of my family went to the Paris High School, it just seemed appropriate that we gave back to the community. Over time, communities and buildings change, and inevitably, things grow…but it’s just as important for us to preserve stories and history of the past when we can.”
Hayward said the project soon became a group effort, with Cornell Welding and Fabricating, Unrivalled Roofing and Masonry, Otter Valley, J.H. Cohoon Engineering Ltd, and Queensview Retirement Community also contributed.
“Although 214 donated to make this happen, some of our trades stepped in as contributors to the project,” she said. “We just want to thank them and our internal team for taking great passion in the project and were committed to seeing it through.”
Kevin Pidgeon, President of Nautical Lands Management Corp. and current owner of the property, commended those involved in restoring the bell.
“The work you have done to build a monument to the bell and to recognize its significance in the community is outstanding and heartwarming. I want to commend the team at Queensview, the town of Paris and Mayor David Bailey for building a sense of community and commitment to one another, and we’re so grateful to be just a small part of it,” he said. “This to me is a monument of the pride that this town takes in everything that they do. It is spectacular. Congratulations and thank you very much for allowing us to be part of the community.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
