PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Mary Amelia Taylor
maryamelia.taylor@archives.alabama.gov
or (334) 353-4692
ALABAMA’S REPLICA LIBERTY BELL TO UNDERGO RESTORATION FOR THE NATION’S 250TH
Montgomery, AL (02/02/2026) – A replica Liberty Bell that sits on the State Capitol grounds in Montgomery will undergo restoration as part of Alabama’s commemoration of the U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026. State officials and the public will rededicate the bell in a ceremony planned for July 8, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.
The bell is one of a series of 55 copies given to the states and territories by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1950. The bells toured communities across the nation to promote the purchase of Independence savings bonds, the peacetime successor to war bonds. Several metals manufacturing companies sponsored the project.
After touring Alabama by truck from late May through early July 1950, bell number 38 arrived at the State Capitol on July 6. Governor Jim Folsom accepted the gift from Ed Leigh McMillan, state chairman of the bond drive.
The bell spent the next 25 years in the lobby of the Alabama Department of Archives and History. In 1975, it was relocated to the Avenue of Flags on the south side of the Capitol for greater visibility during the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. The bell has remained there since and is passed daily by schoolchildren and tourists.
Senator Arthur Orr, chair of the Alabama USA Semiquincentennial Commission, said the project will be an important legacy of the country’s 250th celebration. “Our nation’s symbols serve to unite Americans around its founding ideals, and the Liberty Bell is a cherished representation of our core beliefs,” Orr said. “Alabama recognized its importance when the bell came to this location for our 200th birthday, so it is fitting to make the bell look its best for the 250th.”
State Treasurer Young Boozer’s office window overlooks the Liberty Bell, and he regularly sees fourth-grade classes surround the bell for photos during field trips. Boozer also has a personal connection to the bell. In 1950, his father was an official in the Birmingham office of the U.S. Treasury Department and helped facilitate the bell’s transfer to the state. State Archives staff found his father’s signature in 1950 records when researching the history of the bell. “My dad was a proud WWII Navy vet,” said Boozer. “He was especially proud of his success in promoting the sale of savings bonds in Alabama. I’m reminded of him and his patriotism when I see the Bell.”
State Archives Director Steve Murray said the restoration work will be completed in time for the July 8th rededication at the Avenue of Flags. “Communities across the nation will be holding readings of the Declaration of Independence on the 250th anniversary of its first public reading,” Murray said. “Celebrating the return of the Liberty Bell is a perfect companion to reflecting on the meaning of the Declaration in 1776 and its ongoing significance in 2026.”
The bell is in overall good condition but requires repair due to weathering, according to Jenna Abbott, collections curator at the Department of Archives and History. “The steel frame and hardware require sandblasting and painting, and an entirely new wooden yoke will be built and waterproofed,” Abbott said. “The surface of the bell will be cleaned and polished, and then ready for another 50 years of enjoyment by the public.”
Bell Foundry Christoph will perform the restoration at its facilities in Charleston, South Carolina. The company has restored other bells in the series belonging to other states. Funding for the project is provided by the Alabama Bicentennial Commission Foundation, Inc. For more information on Alabama’s commemoration of the U.S. Semiquincentennial, visit https://america250al.org/.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the state’s government-records repository, a special-collections library and research facility, and home to the Museum of Alabama, the state history museum. It is located in downtown Montgomery, directly across Washington Avenue from the State Capitol. The Museum of Alabama is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30. The EBSCO Research Room is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30. To learn more, visit www.archives.alabama.gov or call (334) 242-4364.
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