Painting in Bell Tower

These photos tell the story of where Potosi student, Wyatt Bust's grandfather, Joe Bust and his painter partner Tracy Golden are working as painters "inside" on the steeple bell tower of St. James Catholic Church in Potosi, Missouri. This renovation work began in September, 2011. On September 20th these photos were taken by one of the painters, Tracy Golden. This is part of a larger renovation of the parish church. Also involved, is the replacement of the church's old roof. The cedar shake roof of 1985 was removed on September 20 by Midwest Church Roofing. It was replaced by a metal roof, which has the appearance of traditional tile roofing.

This photo shows the rickety ladder which leads up one level of the brick bell tower. The light is from above, and is the sunshine. There are no eclectic lights on the ladders leading up the tower. A climber must be a very steady person and the general public is not permitted in the church tower.

In this photo, at left, the stacked white items are the slats or inserts of the bell tower "louvers" ( Loo Vers'). At right is a mechanical machine which now rings the bells with electricity. For most of the history this bell tower, the bells were rung by a man, using manual labor.

A louver (American English) from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise. The angle of the slats may be adjustable, usually in blinds and windows, or they be fixed in place.

This is Wyatt’s grandfather, the painter, Joe Bust, he is seen in the tower at his work station. He stands just below the bell. No bells are rung while the painters are in the structure.

The quarters are cramped with his supplies. The plastic has covered the open louvers, to keep out the cold and rain, on this day.

The Washington County Courthouse is seen from this louver window in the bell tower of St. James Church. At the left top of the tower, you can see all the way over to the Potosi Public Schools. While grandfather Joe is painting in the tower, his grandson Wyatt Bust is studying in the Potosi Middle School on that campus. Farther south thru the Mark Twain National Forrest; near Viburnam, Iron County, MO. Wyatt’s father, Brian Bust is working underground as a mine worker.

Inside the bell tower, Joe Bust is lining up his materials, so they are all in order. Space for storage, and to work and is limited, so he arranges his supplies wisely. All the necessary supplies had to be pulled up from the ground outside, into the louver windows, on rope and pulley. The overhead iron work supports the brick walls during terrific wind storms and occasionally tornadoes in the area.

Here you get to see the mysterious “bell” which rings to call or summon the Catholic people and their guests to attend and participate in Mass at St. James Church. You can see the cast iron bell has strikers and a clanger to produce the various sounds needed in worship in a Catholic Church. This lone bell was cast in 1888, in St. Louis, Mo by J.C. Stuckstede and Brothers.

Wyatt Bust, his father Brian Bust and his grandfather Joe Bust are all parishioners at St. James Catholic Chruch. Wyatt began to serve as an altar server in the Spring of 2011. On Wednesday nights, Wyatt is also a student in the religious education class in the Parish School of Relgion.

Not the bell in St. James, Potosi; this is an image which shows how the bell would appear after electric mechanisms have been added to ring the bell by electricity in the middle or later 1900’s.