Public bell towers and church bells were a frequent source of communication during early times, and tolled to deliver both good and ill tidings.  The Bell Tower, located within the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Capitol Square, was constructed in 1824 to replace and house the bell from a previous wooden structure.  The Tower’s original bell had warned of the arrival of the British at Norfolk during the War of 1812 and again on several occasions as Richmond came under siege during the Civil War.  It has also rung as an alert to the citizenry to bring buckets to fight fires, as well as to summons them to special occasions.  Today it continues to ring as each session of the General Assembly is called to order.

The Bell Tower has served as the office for the Lt. Governor and currently houses the Virginia Travel Information Center.  It was last restored in1933 and given a new bell, donated by Commonwealth Chapter, NSDAR.  The structure has begun to show the effects of weather and time, and today needs attention. Restoration of the historic Bell Tower is the State Regent’s Project 2007-2010, Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution.  Keep the Bell ringing!