View of the bicentennial bell by Tom Davies 1976
Bicentennial Bell Garden
Project Information
Independence Historical Trust and Independence National Historical Park are partnering together to renovate a garden at the corner of 3rd and Walnut Streets. Known as the Benjamin Rush Garden or Boxwood Garden, this space will be the future home of the Bicentennial Bell. The bell, which is a national treasure, has not been seen by the public since it was installed in 1976. This project will change all of that. Once rehabbed with new pathways, lights and flower beds, the garden will be the perfect setting for showcasing the magnificence of the bell.
The goal is to have this project finished and open to the public before we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our nation in 2026. Work has already started. The Trust has hired contractors to work on the design and construction documents for the garden. Once they are completed, the National Park Service will fund the construction of the project.
We would like to thank our donors who have contributed to this project and in particularly, the Landenberger Family Foundation for their support. Without their generosity , we would not have been able to start this project. To learn more about the Landenberger Family Foundation and their contribution, click below.
History of the Bicentennial Bell
Bicentennial Bell – DART Container Line Docks – Tillbury, England (1976)
In the early 1970s, Independence National Historical Park announced its plan to build a new Visitor Center at 3rd and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. In response, the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company offered $50,000 for the casting of a Bicentennial Bell to hang in the tower of that new Visitor Center. The casting was recommended for the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, England (the same foundry that first cast the bell that later became the “Liberty Bell”). Shortly after the Hancock proposal was presented, the British Ambassador to the United States met with NPS officials to propose that the Bicentennial Bell would be a gift from the people of Britain to the people of the United States to celebrate the 1976 United States Bicentennial.
In January 1976, the molds for the bell were made. On March 4th, the bell was cast with a mixture of copper and tin during a 16-minute pour. When completed, the bell was 6’ 10” in diameter at its lip and 5’ 6” in height. It weighed approximately 6 tons.
The Bicentennial Bell was given to the United States of America from Great Britain in 1976 in honor of the 200th anniversary of American Independence. The bell, which was dedicated on July 6, 1976 by her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, was given to show the joint heritage and purposes of the British and American peoples. On that day, Queen Elizabeth II shared her gratitude to America’s Founding Fathers for teaching the British “to respect the right of others to govern themselves in their own way.”
The bell was placed in a tower outside of the park’s original visitor center at 3rd and Chestnut Streets and resided there until 2013 when it was removed and placed in storage. Today, we are raising money to renovate the garden at 3rd and Walnut Streets and relocate the Bicentennial Bell to this green space in the park. This project will prominently display the Bicentennial Bell in the garden and make it accessible to the public. This will be the first time since being hung in the tower that people will be able to walk around the bell and see it up close. There will also be an outdoor education area in the garden for students and groups to use when visiting the park.
