September 11, 1975 – The Iowa City Press-Citizen announces that James Juilfs has climbed the Old Brick belfry and will not come down until $20,000 is raised to save the church and its contents.

When it was announced in May 1966 that the leadership team of First Presbyterian Church had decided to tear down their iconic church building on Market Street, replacing it with a new facility, all hell broke loose within the congregation. Later that same month, UI Professor Joseph Baker and his wife, Matilda – long-time members of the church – published an open letter to the people of Johnson County. Between 1975 and 1977, the preservation effort continued – working under the name of Friends of Old Brick. Standing their ground against all odds, by April 1977, Old Brick was saved from certain destruction. One of the more spectacular efforts to raise awareness (and money) for the Old Brick project was James Juilfs’ September 1975 recreation of the 1848 Iowa City event when Rev. Michael Hummer climbed the Presbyterian belfry in an attempt to save the church bell!

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