Historic Bell Stolen From St. Mary’s Cathedral

San Francisco police are looking for a historic bell which they said was reported stolen from the garden at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco on Sunday morning.

The copper bell, which weighs several thousand pounds, was reported missing by the manager of the church. It was made in 1889 at a Baltimore factory before being shipped to San Francisco and has survived both the 1906 earthquake and a major fire at the church.

The bell was moved to the church’s new location at 1111 Gough Street in 1971, where it was put on display in the garden.

Investigators are trying to find out if there is any surveillance video from the area that may have captured the thieves.

Police said they are not sure if the stolen bell is related to other recent copper thefts in the city. They have also notified local junkyards and recycling centers to be on the lookout.

The church is offering a reward for any information in regards to the case.

Photo Credit: McShane Bell, via Flickr

It's simple. Keith Mizuguchi loves to write and write and write some more. After taking a hiatus from the journalism business, he has rekindled his passion for writing over the last two years, holding a job as both a web and on-air writer for San Francisco news radio station KCBS. While he enjoys the news business, his true passions are twofold: sports and food. Bay Area born and raised, he lives in San Jose, commutes to SF and loves every minute of it. You can follow his food adventures on Twitter @foodie_keith.