317 Project: One of Crown Hill's hidden treasures lies just beyond its gates

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It's stayed hidden just beyond the gates of Crown Hill Cemetery for over a century, easily overlooked amid the expanse of graves. It cries out only on occasion, the sound of a soul nearing its final rest.

The treasure is closed to the public, cloistered in a tower atop flights of rickety stairs in a shadowy, dusty attic. Though shuttered windows acquiesce flashes of light onto its surface, it's virtually invisible from the outside.

But when the bell tolls, it's impossible to ignore.

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The bell was made in 1885 in Cincinnati, the same year the "waiting station" where it's housed was completed.

Remnants of the building's storied history are evident in the high windows in one of the rooms, to preserve the modesty of women in mourning, Marty Davis with Crown Hill Heritage Foundation said.

But the bell is perhaps the most prized artifact. It's most often rung during funeral processions for line-of-duty deaths. These processions can be miles long, and as they pass through the gates, the bell accompanies their journey with each commanding "clang."

Two sets of ropes hang flights below the aforementioned ramshackle stairs. One sets off a hammer, which strikes the inside of the bell. The other activates a wheel that causes a collision between the bell and the "clapper" within.

"This is pretty hard to do," Davis said. She then pulled the rope, which set off the wheel and caused a clanging so loud it could wake the dead.

"You do not want to be up there when that bell is going off," she said.

Working where there's such history packed into the walls becomes normal after a while. Despite the bats and mice, Davis said she'd still rather work here than in another office building.

"You get used to it," Davis said.

The bell is a harbinger of honor. While its peals echo through the living's ears, it memorializes the dead.

Contact IndyStar trending reporter Claire Rafford at crafford@gannett.com or on Twitter @clairerafford.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 317 Project: One of Crown Hill's gems is hidden just beyond its gates