Less than 50 days remain to donate to the City’s effort to acquire and preserve the bells of St. Louis Church. The deadline to contribute is December 27.

The City of Auburn’s effort to raise $12,000 to acquire and preserve the four bells of St. Louis Church, cast in 1915 in Annecy, France by the world renowned Paccard Bell Foundry, have so far reaped $6,500 in donations, putting the project more than half way toward its goal. December 27 will be the final day to donate to the project.

Among the state’s most remarkable heritage treasures, the bells are believed to be the only ones manufactured by the Paccard Foundry that now exist in the state, with the sole exception of the treasured Liberty Bell replica displayed at the Maine Statehouse in Augusta. The replica was one of 51 commissioned in 1950 by the U.S. Treasury Department.

To have four of the historic company’s bells residing in Auburn is a testament to the pride of generations of Auburn residents who appreciated quality workmanship and wanted to bring some of the best bells in the world to their local parish, says project coordinator and City of Auburn Economic Development Specialist Alan S. Manoian.

Donations to the project are tax-deductible. Checks can be made out to Museum L-A, with “St. Louis Bells” on the memo line, and mailed to Museum L-A, 35 Canal Street, Box A7, Lewiston ME 04240. For more information about the project, contact Alan Manoian at 333-6601 ext. 1214 or amanoian@auburnmaine.gov.