With the 250th anniversary of the U.S. coming up next year, Allentown is getting a prominent reminder of its role in the Revolutionary War.
The Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority board voted unanimously Wednesday to allocate $100,000 to put a commemorative bell in front of the former Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ at 620 Hamilton St. to help celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial.
According to Fadia Halma, Lehigh Valley regional director for the state Department for Community and Economic Development, the $250,000 bronze bell will be the same size as the Liberty Bell and will contain an inscription describing Allentown’s role in keeping the bell safe during the Revolutionary War. It will weigh 1,500 pounds.
It will be mounted in front of the church, where a bench stands.
The church, which was bought by Resurrected Life Community Church in 2024, was the hiding place of 11 bells that were kept from British troops after American revolutionaries officially declared independence from the crown. One of those bells was the State House Bell, now known as the Liberty Bell.
The Liberty Bell Museum, which commemorated the building’s role in the Revolutionary War, was in Zion’s church basement, but closed in 2023 after the museum’s board could not come to an agreement with Resurrected Life. Its assets were transferred to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum. A to-scale replica of the Liberty Bell, which is owned by the state, remains in the church basement.
State Sen. Nick Miller, who attended the meeting virtually, said Allentown’s history with the Liberty Bell, along with the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Center Square, are relevant parts of the 250th anniversary.
“The history around the Liberty Bell and the significance in our country’s history, and that symbol of freedom and independence, I think, is often forgotten about or hidden in the history of that church,” said Miller, D-Lehigh. “This historical monument will really allow us to celebrate that history. It’s a significant size and will be a tourist attraction, not just for America 250 but I think for years to come.”
ANIZDA’s share will be added to the $1.6 million it approved in January to finish improvements to sidewalks along the south side of Hamilton on the 600 and 700 blocks.
The rest of the $250,000 amount will come from businesses and others. City Center Investment Corp. has pledged $50,000 toward the project and PPL will add $25,000. The remaining $75,000 is coming from private donors.
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.
