I first told you about the Northampton County Liberty Bell over a year ago. Its iron tongue announced our Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. It sang nonstop for over twenty-four hours at the conclusion of the second world war. Yet this great symbol of our liberty sat forlornly in a forgotten corner at the end of a lonely hall. Easels and courtroom furniture were propped up against this great monument, and the bell itself was littered with fast food menus.Last Fall, county executive Stoffa ordered the bell moved immediately next to the rotunda, where it could be seen and appreciated by members of the public doing business at the courthouse. Since that time, he has worked with The Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society and former executives Glenn Reibman and Jerry Seyfried to find someone who could prepare a history. Len Buschemi, a local historian with first-hand knowledge, came up with a great account, and has kindly allowed me to share it with you.
Northampton County was sliced out of Bucks County and on March 7, 1752, Northampton County was born. Easton was named as the County Seat.
The first court was held on the 16th of June, 1752. There was no courthouse so court proceedings were conducted in hotels such as The Bachman tavern at 2d and Northampton Streets until 1766.
The assembly voted in 1763 to erect a courthouse in Northampton County. There was controversy over where to erect the courthouse. Some did not want it erected in Easton for they said Easton was in the extreme southeast portion of the new County. At that time Northampton County extended far to the north and west. They also said Easton had no roads and was surrounded by hills. The assembly held out that the courthouse was to be erected in Easton. George Taylor was one of the trustees appointed to oversee the construction of the courthouse.
In the beginning court sessions only lasted a few days. The Northampton County Courthouse was erected in the middle of the Great Square, holding its first session in 1766. The cost to erect the courthouse was $4,589.67. The two story courthouse was modeled after Carpenter's hall in Philadelphia. In 1766 there were only 63 homes in Easton.
A bell manufactured by the Moravians in Bethlehem was installed in the cupola in 1768.
On July 8, 1776 the bell rang as Mr. Leavers read the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Courthouse. In all of the colonies this was the third reading of the Declaration. Only Philadelphia and Trenton had previously read the Declaration.
In 1812 the bell rang for "Freedom of the Seas."
In 1847 the bell rang for "Freedom of Texas."
The building was falling into disrepair and in 1860 a new courthouse on the outskirts of Easton was erected. The old courthouse was razed in 1861. The bell was placed in the bell tower of the new courthouse.
In 1863 in the new courthouse the bell rang for "Freedom of the slaves."
In 1898 the bell rang for "Freedom of Cuba."
In 1917 the bell rang for "Freedom of the World War."
In September 1945 at the end of World War II the bell rang again. As a youngster I remember signing the book and ringing the bell that glorious day in September 1945.
I do not remember hearing the bell ring again after 1945.
Mr. Buschemi has the story mostly right. There would be one correction, however. The Northampton County Courthouse was designed and built by 1766. Robert Smith, the architect of Carpenters Hall, designed that building after the Northampton County Courthouse in 1770 and Carpenters Hall was built by 1774. The curator of Carpenters Hall gave me a private tour after I asserted the same theory to her. She concurred that Northampton County had the design first. For more interesting info on the building, go to www.carpentershall.org/history/smith
ReplyDeleteI hate to be a critic, but, it was Robert Levers who read the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776, not Leavers. Just for the record. Thanks, Bernie. Good job.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Nazareth Moravian Diaries about Matthias Tommerup, who built the bell - "February 22nd 1778 – In the morning died unexpectedly the single brother Tommerup in Christian Spring. Joh. Matthaeus Tommerup was born in January 4th 1725 in Juetland, and later he learned the profession to be a founder. He came to Herrnhut in 1758, and was received into the choir. In the year 1761 he received a call to America, where he went with Bro. and Sr. Nathanael and arrived in Bethlehem. In the year 1762 he started to work in his profession in the choir-house as well as he could. Thoughts of doubt came into his mind, whether he would be able to carry out his profession. But the Lord helped in such a way, that he had to be ashamed of his little faith. When last year in September the single brethren had to leave their choir-house, which was turned into a Hospital, he came with some other brethren to Christian Spring, where he moved at once to the sick-room. For he had suffered for some years with dropsy. On December 12th he was so weak, that one did think, he would depart, but he recovered again and got stronger, and let come his working-clothes from Bethlehem and was ready to work as much as his strength would allow him. He had the desire to stay in Christian Spring and work there. On Sunday, February 22nd he had drunk some cups of coffee and suddenly his head sank down, he grew pale and soon he had died."
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a reader of your blog a year ago, and really had no idea that we had our own Liberty Bell. What an interesting story!
ReplyDeleteBlue Coyote, I knew he had mispelled Levers, who also has the distinction of being Northampton County's first "dictator." I did not know about carpenter's hall. That's very interesting!
ReplyDeleteLVHW, my understanding is that all of the states have their own replica of the original liberty bell. Zion UCC in Allentown, where the liberty bell was housed during the revolution, has PA's copy if I'm correct.
ReplyDeleteBut northapmton's history is cool too. I think it's great that we have so much history in the LV surrounding the revolution.
Yep, the bell was hidden in Allentown to keep it from the Brits, who would have melted it down.
ReplyDeleteCopies of the Declaration of Independence were made and distributed by riders throughout the colonies. The directions from the founding fathers were for the first reading to be read on July 8th, 1776 at 12:00 PM. Only three cities were able to do it on that day, Easton being one of them.
ReplyDeleteWhether they were third or first in the reading, we'll never know who was the fastest reader. Washington's troops didn't hear the news until the following day on July 9th, 1776. Our culture and heritage is what establishes our identity as a County. The County of Northampton should be proud of it's past.
isn't funny how we tend to forget the important things in this great country of ours? i'm happy to see some people still care. we all get so wrapped up into our own lives every now and then . thanks for caring and reminding us all how important history is and always will be . good job!!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the kind words but all thanks for this should go to Stoffa (who ordered the bell to be placed in public view instead of hidden), Reibman (who has the money from the 250th anniversary committee to have the bell spruced up) and Seyfried (who toured all over the county with the bell). Local historians like Mr. Buschemi and Blue Coyote keep the stories alive. But the most thanks are for those who made the liberty behind that bell a possibility.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me worry a little the bell has not knelled since '45. Is it fear of damage or is there nothing to brag about?
Have you ever thought that there should be a Nazareth Historical Society and not just the Moravian Historical Society, which is really just about the Moravian history worldwide?
ReplyDelete