The Liberty Bell in Allentown
Many people visiting the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum are surprised to learn that Allentown was home to the Liberty Bell from September 1777 to June 1778. Then known as the State House Bell, it was one of eleven bells taken from Philadelphia when the city fell into British hands during the Revolutionary War. Patriots were afraid the bells would be melted down and used as bullets or artillery against them, so it was decided that the bells would be removed from the city for safekeeping.
The bells traveled by horse and wagon from Philadelphia to Quakertown, into Bethlehem, and finally to Zion’s Reformed Church in Allentown. The church hid the bells under its floorboards in the basement.
Many years later, in 1962, the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum also found a home beneath the floorboards of Zion’s Reformed Church. Opening in 1962, the museum featured exhibits on the Liberty Bell, including a reproduction. The bell on display was one of 55 cast and distributed among the 50 United States. Guests were welcome to ring this bell, which many life-long Lehigh Valley residents remember. The museum also explored themes such as liberty, freedom, and patriotism. It was also home to Pip the Mouse, a puppet show that originated at Hess’s Department Store and was moved to the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum when the store closed.
The Liberty Bell Shrine Museum operated until 2023, when Zion’s Reformed Church was sold. Sadly, the museum had to close. The collections and exhibits and Pip were transferred to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum. However, the replica Liberty Bell still remains at Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ.
In preparation for America 250, the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum created a new exhibition, The American Revolution, which incorporates displays from the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum along with items already in our collection.
The exhibition is now open for visitors and students to explore and discover the American Revolution and the role the Lehigh Valley played in the War of Independence.
