PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A groundbreaking ceremony is set to take place Friday to officially dedicate a new home for a special Philadelphia bell that’s been out of sight for the last decade.
The Bicentennial Bell is a gift from the people of Great Britain to the people of the United States. It was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II in Philadelphia in 1976. Etched on it are the words “Let Freedom Ring.”
It hung in the bell tower of the former visitor center in Old City until that building was demolished in 2013 to make way for the Museum of the American Revolution. The bell has been in storage ever since.
With a $1 million donation from the Independence Historical Trust — the nonprofit philanthropic partner of Independence National Historical Park — it is partially funding the Bicentennial Bell Garden Project, which will put the bell on display, hanging from an iron armature, at Third and Walnut streets.
The bell weighs about 12,500 pounds, and is 5 ½ feet high and almost 7 feet in diameter.
“It is absolutely enormous,” said Jonathan Burton, director of development for Independence Historical Trust. “It’s about three times the size of the Liberty Bell. And this armature is a feat in and of itself to be able to hold the bell in all weather conditions.
“It’s going to be absolutely beautiful. It’s a work of art in and of itself.”
The project is expected to be completed next year. It’s the first of several projects planned in advance of America’s 250th birthday celebrations in 2026.