Of all the patriotic symbols America hold dear, there are none that express the American spirit quite like the Liberty Bell. And yet, the Liberty Bell was not originally intended to be a symbol, but rather a “working bell”. It was to be used by the Assembly of Pennsylvania to call together morning and afternoon sessions, announce the opening of the Court of Justice, and even to proclaim the accession to the throne of a member of Great Britain’s Royal Family.

The bell, also known as the “Province Bell” and the “State House Bell” prior to 1776, and later as the “Bell of Revolution” and the “Herald of Freedom”, was ordred to replace a bell brought to America by William Penn. It was also scheduled to be part of the celebration of Pennsylvania Province’s 50th anniversary, and arrived from England (it was cast by Thomas Lister of Whitechapel, London) in August of 1752.

It was first hung in the State House yard in Philadelfia to be tested. That is where the bell first cracked. American metalsmiths Pass & Stowe melted the bell down. More copper was added and it was re-cast. Once again the bell cracked. A third attempt was made, still to the exact specifications of the original, and Pennsylvania at last had a solid, new bell – the first such bell to be manufactured in America.

The bell was lifted to the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House, where it began its duties as a signal for public events both major and minor. But it was not until some 24 years later that the bell gained its greatest fame. On July 8, 1776, four days after congressional adoption, the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed to the public – with the Liberty Bell ringing out the news. In announcing the birth of a great nation, the Liberty Bell took its place in history as the foremost symbol of the American spirit of Liberty. But its useful life did not end here.

During the Revolutionary War, wild ringing greeted the news of each battlefield victory, while defeats brought a muffled, mornful tolling. The bell came so important to the morale of the patriots that the British vowed to capture it and melt it down for shot. Fearful that exactly that would happen when General Howe entered Philadelfia after a British victory at Chadd’s Ford, local patriots removed the bell from the State House and secreted it beneath the floor of a church in Allentown. To further deceive the British, reports were circulated that the bell had been taken to a point near Trenton, New Jersey and sunk. The bell remained safely hidden under the church for the remainder of the war.

On September 3, 1783, the Revolutionary War was over, and the bell resumed its peacetime duties. It was 52 years later, on July 8, 1835, while being tolled during the funeral of Chief Justice John Marshall, that the bell cracked once again. For eleven years following, the bell hung in silence. The crack was repaired in 1847, as the bell was being made ready for the celebration of George Washington’s birthday, only to reappear, this time permamently, during the festivities. 82 years after its birth, the Liberty Bell passed from public service to its place as a symbol of liberty. Since that time, it has been hung rarely, and then only very lightly and with a special mallet. A device called a “spider” has been attached to the inside of the bell to keep the crack from spreading.

Despite the crack, the Liberty Bell continues to stand as a reminder that men who would be free can never be enslaved; and while the voice of freedom may be muffled, the spirit always lives.

Evergreen-Washelli’s Liberty Bell journeyed throughout the Puget Sound area during the nation’s bicentennial year, 1976. As a longtime member of the greater Seattle community, Evergreen-Washelli has continued to express its support of the American spirit by the display of this symbol of their nation’s freedom at community fairs, parades and other celebrations.

The Liberty Bell weighs over one ton, and the replica cast for Evergreen-Washelli matches the weight and dimensions of the original exactly...only the crack is missing.

Lip to crown .................................................3 feet

Circumference around lip ...........................12 feet

Circumference around crown .........7 feet, 6 inches

Thickness at lip .........................................3 inches

Thickness at crown ................................1¾ inches

Length of clapper ...........................3 feet, 2 inches

Weight ..............................................2 080 pounds

(With display trailer .........................4 500 pounds)