The bell tower is back up at the Bradley County Courthouse but much work remains to be done, according to Bradley County Judge Klay McKinney and Administrative Assistant Robin Scott.
CP&P Construction of El Dorado took a slow, methodical approach to using a giant crane to lift the 12-ton bell tower into place Sunday. The process took about eight hours.
The project started in October 2020 under architect Blake Dunn of CADM Architectural Firm of El Dorado. In June 2021, it was decided the tower built in 1904 needed complete renovation as timbers holding it up had disintegrated.
An Arkansas Historical Preservation Program grant of $460,000 was secured along with $40,000 from the governor’s office. The final cost figure of the project has not been determined yet, but the total is estimated to be about $500,000. Of that, the county will be responsible for part of the cost.
Diversified Construction and Design of El Dorado built the new tower. There are approximately three weeks of work left on the tower. That includes bringing in Clock Service Co. of Ocala, Fla. To work on the clock mechanism. Corker Electric of Warren will be working on lights for the clock tower and courthouse. Floodlights will also be placed on the veterans monument and flag.
