By: Marcia Abramson
He didn't find the famous Philadelphia Flower Show as much as I did. I think there was just too much walking and too much to see, even though I did thoroughly enjoy this major Philadelphia attraction, the beautiful flora and foliage on display. But now after participating in the ceremonial moving of Liberty Bell to its new location, I am looking forward to sharing America's beginning history with Bradley and his sister, Maris, very soon. The new Liberty Bell Center is a major milestone in the redevelopment of the Independence National Historical Park, representing a transformation of Philadelphia's historic district. On the planning boards - yet to come - are the Independence Park Academy, an educational facility for school children and educators; and the home of George Washington, on the site of the first executive mansion. I learned that the National Park Service's mission is to preserve sites associated with the American Revolution, including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and other historic sites dealing with the early days of our nation's history. It was a tremendous undertaking to wheel the Liberty Bell 963 feet from the location in the Pavilion, built for the celebration of our bicentennial in 1976. It was pushed by hand, on a custom-made pneumatic cart featuring high-tech sensors that could register any strain on the bell's famous crack. Happily no harm came to this cherished icon of freedom to all Americans on this move. Over the years the bell has tolled for George Washington's funeral, toured the country on several whistle stops after the Civil War and served as a symbol for abolitionists, suffragists, Civil Rights advocates, Native Americans, immigrants and war protesters. I found the history of the bell and its famous crack very interesting. It was originally cast in the Whitechapel Foundry in the East End of London and sent to the Pennsylvania State House in 1753 (now Independence Hall). Awesome it was, 12 feet in circumference around the lip with a 44-pound clapper. A Biblical verse from Leviticus was the inscription on the top, "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof." As luck would have, the clapper cracked the bell on its very first use. Local artisans recast the bell twice. Copper was first used to make it less brittle, and then silver to sweeten its tone. The results did not please everybody. However, it did find a home in the tower of the State House. From 1753 to 1777, the bell - the crack withstanding - rang to call the Pennsylvania Assembly to order. But the bell tower started rotting in the 1770s, causing some people to believe that ringing the bell might cause the tower to fall. Common belief is that the bell did not ring to announce the signing of the Declaration of Independence, or even to act as a harbinger for the people to hear its first public reading on July 8, 1776. The bell's symbolic importance was recognized, even then to be moved with 22 other large Philadelphia bells, to Allentown in 1777 to protect the bell from the British who were invading the colonies. It was returned to the State House in June of 1778. It is still a mystery as to what exactly caused the first crack in the Liberty Bell. It is believed that further damage was caused each time the bell was used. Attempts to fix the bell failed in February of 1846 and the ringing of the bell for Washington's Birthday later in that month caused the upper end of the bell to crack further. It was then resolved never to ring the bell again by Pennsylvania officials. But, the bell had been around long enough to become the icon for the abolitionists who named it the Liberty Bell in the "Anti-Slavery Record" in the mid-1830s. It was never to be called the State House Bell again and forever more it was known as the Liberty Bell. I first saw the Liberty Bell in a glassed-in pavilion across Chestnut Street from Independence Hall on my first visit to Philadelphia, and I am eager to show the grandkids the bell in its new location, a meaningful center, with an exhibit commemorating its significance to us. It is also an inspiring sight to see it against its old home, Independence Hall.Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com
