The name of this paper, The Liberty Bell, comes directly from American history. It alludes to an iconic symbol of American independence and freedom, the actual Liberty Bell.

It currently stands in the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia after being being moved from Independence Hall in 1951. 

The Liberty Bell, however, is not only an allusion to American history. There is also an iconic bell right here on Mount Pisgah’s campus.

The Patriot Bell dates back to the second building of the Mount Pisgah Chapel in 1948, following its destruction after Sherman’s March to the sea during the Civil War. The bell was suspended at the top of the chapel, ringing anytime the church service was about to begin.

“Knowing that we were going to tear down that chapel… we kept the bell and the cornerstone of the church,” Ruston Pierce said. “When we did renovations across the street, we integrated the cornerstone of the original church into the renovations.”

The school wanted to do something special with the bell because of its rich history. They recovered and restored the bell while renovating the building to set up the American history museum in 2011. 

The senior class of 2018 decided they wanted to use it as their senior gift to the school. 

“I feel extremely honored that that could be our gift,” said 2018 graduate Sarah Cline. “I’m so glad that we could preserve that tradition while making new ones on the field.”

The nostalgia of going with their class to ring the bell in lower school and their desire to leave a lasting impact on the school gave birth to what we know as the Patriot Bell today (that is, its location at the Patriot Athletic Campus).

The class of 2018 raised money to build the pedestal, mount the bell in front of the football field at the PAC, and ingrain the names of the students who helped make it possible.

The bell now rings during special occasions and after sporting event victories, and will remain on the PAC for generations to come.