Community Corner

Fire Gong Once Used to Sound Alarm in Belle Terre

A relic of the past still hangs proudly in the village.

If you've ever traveled into Belle Terre you've probably driven by the fire gong, that large metallic ring suspended from rough wooden posts. Some time around the turn of the century the fire gong was erected in the village. The date of its construction is unknown as is how many times it was used but according to its website the Port Jefferson Fire Department, which serves Belle Terre, was established in 1887. 

"In our times, these rare relics of the past are usually seen at fire stations as memorials to volunteers," wrote Nancy Orth in the September 2011 edition of the Belle Terre newsletter. "Fire gongs were often made of discarded locomotive wheels."

That same year the Belle Terre  Beautification Committee celebrated the installation of the information plaque seen there today that gives a little history of the gong.

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"The Fire Gong corner is now a welcoming sight as one enters Belle Terre," read a caption to a photo in the Belle Terre newsletter from December 2011. "Beautification Committee have done a bang-up job on that corner."

Do you have any information about the fire gong or old photos of the gong in the village? Share them with us on Patch by posting in the comments or our boards.

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