Brandywine Stories: The Oldest Sound in West Chester

If there’s any single sound that can be called unique to West Chester, it’s the sound of the courthouse bell. It hangs cradled in its original clock tower at the corner of High and Market Streets, where it rings at the top of every hour.

And the bell has been doing so since it was first in operation, beginning on September 3, 1838. (Coincidentally that was the same day human rights advocate Frederick Douglass made his dramatic escape from slavery at age 20.) The bell tower sat atop the original 1786 courthouse until that building was replaced by the current, larger courthouse in 1848.

In those early days, before personal clocks and watches became affordable for anyone but the wealthiest residents, the courthouse clock was an important town feature. It kept time for those with appointments, for school classes to start and for trains that would soon depart. The bell could also signal an emergency or special occasion.

Perhaps the most dramatic event in the bell’s history occurred on April 10, 1865, when it began ringing nonstop at sunrise. Townspeople became both curious and alarmed by this unexpected pealing of the bell and quickly gathered at the courthouse.

There, they found two African Americans, Samuel J. Williams and Alexander Gladman, standing at attention on the courthouse steps. When the bell stopped, the men announced that the telegraph wires connecting West Chester to the rest of the world were down and no messages could be received. Because they had important news, the men rode their horses all night from Philadelphia to make a historic announcement: Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Virginia, the afternoon before. The Civil War was now effectively over.

Cheers erupted from the townspeople, who then spent the day celebrating. Plans were made to welcome the town’s brave soldiers home. Tributes to the troop took years to complete and today can be seen at two impressive monuments — Old Glory, located at High and Market Streets, and the Civil War Memorial at Marshall Square Park.

The West Chester Bell

From the street, the clock tower on top of the historic courthouse is among downtown West Chester’s oldest and most recognizable landmarks. It was an early design by a young architect named Thomas U. Walter. Soon after, Walter went on to design the current historic courthouse, and in 1846, the original clock tower was placed upon the courthouse. At 120 feet, it’s the tallest structure in West Chester. It’s also noteworthy that in the 1850s, Walter went on to become Architect of the Capitol in Washington D.C., where he’s known for designing the iconic Capitol Dome.

The bell itself has its own story. It’s inscribed “Cast by J. Wilbank, Philadelphia, 1838,” and is one of three bells identified with that marking. Artisan John Wilbank (1788–1843) had a busy career in Philadelphia casting bells for the government, churches and other institutions.

And bellmaker Wilbank also has a story. He cast a new bell for Independence Hall that would replace a certain bell that had developed a large crack. That cracked bell, of course, is now known as the Liberty Bell and sits quietly on display at Independence National Historic Park.

For his part in the bell’s history, Wilbank was among the first to embrace the symbolism of the Liberty Bell. There was a threat that the bell would be melted down for other uses, but he and his family took care to preserve it from any further harm. Wilbank was even given ownership of the bell by the government until it was dedicated to the National Park Service. Today, it’s one of America’s great patriotic symbols visited by thousands each year.

An interpretive sign at Independence Hall states: “An old broken bell, yet one of the most powerful symbols of freedom in the world, bears a timeless message: ‘Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Therof.’” Legend has it that some abolitionists saw that message and developed the nickname, The Liberty Bell, which it holds to this day.

The West Chester bell, uncracked, still rings as it did on its first day. The bell was tended to by John Hall, a local watchmaker and the first clock caretaker. Among his duties was to wind the eight-day movement, which took him 45 minutes (it’s now done much faster electronically). The iconic four-faced clock surrounding the bell was constructed by Isaiah Luken, and each clock continues to mark the hour as it has for nearly 200 years.

The next time you’re walking the streets of West Chester, listen for this historic bell to chime the hour and remember its story.

Carillons

Bells can make beautiful music and have done so for centuries. Fans from poets to newlyweds have expressed their fondness for the charm of multiple bells pealing throughout a town. And who hasn’t been moved by the tintinnabulation found in Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Bells”?

Did you know a collection of bells in a tower that make music is called a carillon? And Chester County is fortunate to have such an instrument located in the Chimes Tower at Longwood Gardens. This carillon, featuring 62 cast bells of varying sizes, was constructed in 1929 on Pierre du Pont’s instructions after he heard a similar instrument in France.

Several times every day, the Longwood carillon plays a musical selection, periodically by a featured professional performer. Truly a heavenly sound!

Malcolm Johnstone is the Community Engagement Officer for Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation for the Cultural Alliance of Chester County, an initiative of the Chester County Community Foundation. His column raises awareness of Chester County’s rich heritage as we journey to 2026: the year the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence.