Crowds milled for hours on Commercial Street Thursday morning waiting for the dramatic lifting of the refurbished belfry and bell to the top of the Provincetown Public Library and when it happened, it was well worth the wait.
Some folks started to arrive before 5 a.m. to stake out their spots behind the police tape that blocked the area directly in front of the library where the two large cranes were stationed. Some brought lawn chairs and settled in for what would turn out to be an over five-hour vigil.
A couple of workers were lifted to the top of the building to make sure the belfry and its collar would fit properly into the new collar installed on the building.
Around 10:30 a.m. with no fanfare the larger of the two cranes slowly tightened to steel cables attached to the belfry and it slowly started to rise causing a collective intake of breath and applause from the crowd. The crane operator lifted, positioned and finally was prepared to sit the belfry down on top of the building after over half an hour of delicate maneuvering.
The belfry appeared to hover, perhaps only inches away from its final position, and then one of the workers appeared inside the belfry and the street broke into applause and cheers.
For more on the story and to see photos shot from around town, see the Aug. 2 Provincetown Banner.
Jul 26th, 2007
