{"id":1254,"date":"2026-02-06T08:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T08:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/2026\/02\/06\/2026-02-06-campus-to-host-historic-bell\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T23:09:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T23:09:14","slug":"2026-02-06-campus-to-host-historic-bell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/2026\/02\/06\/2026-02-06-campus-to-host-historic-bell\/","title":{"rendered":"Campus to host historic\u00a0bell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Julia Kramer<\/a> · Staff Writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mercer
Mercer County\u2019s America250PA bell displays Harbison Chapel. \u2014 GCC<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carnegie Alumni Center will soon celebrate Pennsylvania\u2019s semiquincentennial by displaying Mercer County\u2019s first liberty bell titled \u201cPartners Through Time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A product of \u201cBells Across PA\u201d, a project made by the America250PA organization, the bell\u2019s painted sides showcase Mercer County\u2019s landscapes and Grove City College\u2019s Harbison Chapel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBells Across PA is our way of inspiring connection through creativity,\u201d said Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250PA. \u201cAs we prepare to mark 250 years of the American experiment, this initiative helps Pennsylvanians from every corner of the Commonwealth see themselves in that story. \u2018Partners Through Time\u2019 reflects the spirit of that Mercer County community and reminds us that history is something we all have a hand in creating. Each bell represents a unique collaboration between artists, communities and sponsors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bell not only celebrates the nation\u2019s founding 250 years ago, but also Grove City College\u2019s 150th anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The artist, Glen Sanders, is an adjunct professor of art at the college. \u201cI enjoyed the artmaking, and I hope those who view it appreciate the work and that it represents the county as a family-friendly, nature-loving piece of Americana,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although America250PA provided the bell\u2019s fiberglass mold, much of the funding for the project came directly from the college. \u201cGrove City College is honored to support this important project as Mercer County marks the 250th anniversary of our nation\u2019s independence,\u201d President Bradley Lingo said. \u201cIt is especially fitting for the college to play a leading role, since the ideals that have shaped our country for 250 years have also guided Grove City College for the past 150.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently installed in the rotunda of the Mercer County Courthouse, the bell\u2019s delivery to campus will occur later in the spring, where it will reside permanently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are grateful that Grove City College stepped up as the corporate sponsor for the bell \u2013 and that America\u2019s 250th birthday coincides with GCC\u2019s 150th birthday,\u201d Mercer County Commissioner Ann Coleman said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carnegie Alumni Center will soon celebrate Pennsylvania\u2019s semiquincentennial by displaying Mercer County\u2019s first liberty bell titled \u201cPartners Through Time.\u201d A product of \u201cBells Across PA\u201d, a project made by the America250PA organization,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[43,14,80],"class_list":["post-1254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus","tag-issue-2026-02-06","tag-front-page","tag-julia-kramer"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-06-04-campus-to-host-historic-bell-1.jpg",402,400,false],"thumbnail":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-06-04-campus-to-host-historic-bell-1.jpg",150,150,false],"medium":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-06-04-campus-to-host-historic-bell-1.jpg",300,300,false],"medium_large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-06-04-campus-to-host-historic-bell-1.jpg",402,400,false],"large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-06-04-campus-to-host-historic-bell-1.jpg",402,400,false],"1536x1536":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-06-04-campus-to-host-historic-bell-1.jpg",402,400,false],"2048x2048":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-06-04-campus-to-host-historic-bell-1.jpg",402,400,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Ian Schartner","author_link":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/author\/schartnerij23\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Carnegie Alumni Center will soon celebrate Pennsylvania\u2019s semiquincentennial by displaying Mercer County\u2019s first liberty bell titled \u201cPartners Through Time.\u201d A product of \u201cBells Across PA\u201d, a project made by the America250PA organization,","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1254"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1789,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1254\/revisions\/1789"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}