Liberty Bell & Tower

Origin of the Bell & Tower

The Liberty Bell is the first true replica of the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia as it was first cast. Liberty’s bell weighs 2,016 pounds and was made at the Whitechapel Foundry in London in 1960. The bell was given to the citizens of Liberty by Sallie and Nadine Woods, founders of the Liberty Muscular Dystrophy Research Foundation, the first national foundation to fund muscular dystrophy research. The Woods sisters, natives of Liberty, were both victims of muscular dystrophy.

The bell tower was built in time to honor the 200th anniversary of our nation’s founding, and the City of Liberty was awarded a certification as a National and State Bicentennial City because of the uniqueness of Liberty’s bell and bell tower project. The ringing dedication of the tower was held on April 24, 1976, the date of Liberty’s Bicentennial celebration. The bell tower was Liberty’s gift to the nation, representing a permanent monument reflecting pride in the past and hope for the future. The Bell Tower was demolished in the spring of 2009 because of structural problems and design plans for a new bell tower are being developed.