"Bingo for the Bell...the Unveiling" & 98th Club Anniversary

On July 2nd, the Mandarin Community Club hosted a "Bingo for the Bell...the Unveiling" and 98th Club Anniversary. The event was deemed a big success with a great turn out from the community and the long-awaited unveiling of the fully restored 1855 bell. The funds raised at the Bingo event will go toward the final steps of securing the bell on a moveable display with an appropriate cover to preserve and protect the finish and a storage cabinet to secure when not on display. The bell is considered to be an artifact of great historic significance and comes with a fascinating backstory. Research by the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society reveals that Harriet Beecher Stowe herself went on a letter writing quest to solicit a bell for use at the then named Mandarin Schoolhouse. It's possible the existing bell was in response to Mrs. Stowe's request. Likely the bell arrived in "used condition" as its date can be tracked to 1855--a date that pre-dates the building, the Civil War, and Mrs. Stowe's years in Mandarin! The bell was utilized to call the community together for community meetings, performances, religious services, and much more.

The evening also celebrated the anniversary of the Club founding on July 2nd, 1923. The Club grew out of the Liberty League that was active in World War I but afterwards citizens were looking for leadership on community issues so the Community Club was formed from that group. There has been 98 years of steadfast service and enrichment to the community from lobbying for electricity in its earliest days, to the nationally acclaimed Mandarin Players and theater groups making use of the stage, to advocating to preserve and protect the Patriarch Oaks of Mandarin Road, and so much more. The Community Club has been the recipient of countless awards and honors in addition to being the oldest civic organization in Jacksonville, housed in one of the most historically significant buildings in North Florida, and owner of the National Register designated Post Office and General Store. It’s a big responsibility which we can only meet with the support of dedicated members and volunteers.

Learn more about the history of the Club and Mandarin by purchasing Mandarin on the St. Johns by Mary B. Graf or Palmetto Leaves by Harriet Beecher Stowe for your summer reading. For more information, check out our Support page or contact us at [email protected].