Historic courthouse bell returns as centerpiece of Habersham’s America 250 celebration

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — A century-old courthouse bell that has overlooked generations of Habersham County residents will once again have a permanent home when county leaders dedicate the restored landmark during Saturday’s America 250 celebration. The free event is scheduled from noon to 4:30 p.m. on July 11 at the Habersham County Courthouse, will commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary with the dedication of the historic bell and a new Liberty Tree, followed by family-friendly activities on the courthouse grounds.

Organizers intentionally scheduled the celebration to conclude before the City of Clarkesville’s America 250 festivities begin at 5 p.m., allowing residents to attend both events.

“This is our country’s 250th year celebration,” Habersham County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bruce Harkness said. “We’re going to have all kinds of festivities at the courthouse.”

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History of the bell

The bell itself has a story spanning more than a century.

County officials commissioned the bell from the E.W. Van Duzen Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was cast in 1920 at the Buckeye Bell Foundry before arriving in Habersham County in 1926, when it was installed in the county’s third courthouse. When that courthouse was demolished in 1963, the bell was removed and placed in storage because the county’s new courthouse, completed the following year, was not designed with a bell tower. It remained in storage for nearly two decades before county officials constructed a clock tower in 1983 specifically to house the bell atop the courthouse that stood until the current judicial center replaced it.

Harkness said bells of that size have become increasingly rare because many were melted down during wartime.

“Very few churches, and very few counties, actually have this large of a bell left in existence because during the war years, most bells throughout Europe and some in America were melted down for the war effort,” he said.

Rumors circulated that the bell had been lost, before it was discovered that then-Sheriff Joey Terrell and a friend removed it from the courthouse to protect it ahead of the building’s demolition. Housed at the sheriff’s office and then, at Piedmont Metal, Deputy County Clerk Patti McLarty said the historic relic had simply been waiting for the right opportunity. That opportunity came after Harkness expressed interest in restoring the bell as a permanent public monument outside the new courthouse.

McLarty coordinated the restoration alongside Harkness and Lee Amos of Amos Grave Restoration. Legacy Metal & Steel fabricated the steel cradle that will support the bell, while Amos Grave Restoration helped design the monument and oversaw the stonework. Alton Fry constructed the monument’s base using bricks salvaged from the courthouse demolished last year. When dedicated Saturday, the bell will rest atop the brick-and-marble monument near the courthouse’s main entrance.

Liberty tree

The celebration will also include the dedication of a Liberty Tree, inspired by a nationwide initiative of the Sons of the American Revolution commemorating America’s semiquincentennial.

County Clerk Brandalin Carnes said organizers selected a native dogwood tree because it reflects both the nation’s heritage and Northeast Georgia’s landscape.

“We wanted it to be an American tree,” Carnes said. “Dogwoods are native trees, they’re drought tolerant, beautiful, and people usually have a special connection with them.”
The tree, purchased from a local nursery, will become a permanent feature of the courthouse grounds.

A community celebration

The ceremonial program is expected to include readings from the Declaration of Independence by members of the Sons of the American Revolution, a presentation of the colors by local veterans organizations, the National Anthem and an invocation before transitioning into a community celebration.

“We’re trying to keep the ceremony condensed and then move into a community celebration that everyone can enjoy,” Carnes said.

Families attending the event can enjoy free hot dogs and soft drinks provided by Harkness, Kona Ice, a bounce house, giant bubble activities, sidewalk chalk art and educational displays hosted by Habersham County Emergency Services.

Harkness: ‘A personal milestone’

For Harkness, the celebration also marks a personal milestone.

Exactly 50 years ago, he stood on the same property as a student at North Habersham Junior High School during the nation’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976. This Saturday, he will return as chairman of the Habersham County Board of Commissioners for America’s 250th anniversary.

“It’s going to be a very unusual day celebrating the 250th anniversary on this piece of property because exactly 50 years ago I was on this property as a student at North Habersham Junior High School when we celebrated the 200th anniversary of our country in 1976,” Harkness said. “Now, 50 years later, I’m standing back on the same property as your commissioner at our new courthouse.”

Harkness, who said he has documented 12 ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, said the anniversary offers an opportunity to remember the ideals on which the nation was founded.

“It makes me proud that our country is still here as a beacon of hope and offering all of us, as our founders stated, that we are endowed with unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he said.

“I’m so proud of our county and our country. God bless America and God bless you all.”