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Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
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  • Monument Name

    Bladen County Veterans Bell, Elizabethtown

  • Type

    Bell

  • Subjects

    Veterans of Multiple Wars

  • City

    Elizabethtown

  • County

    Bladen

  • Description

    The monument is made up of two granite blocks supporting a third which form a rectangular frame around the iron bell. The monument, as a whole, stands approximately three feet in height and four and one-half feet in width.

  • Inscription

    Front: IN HONOR OF BLADEN COUNTY PATRIOTS / THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM / THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT IN ALL WARS AND THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES / THAT WE MIGHT BE A FREE PEOPLE

    Rear: BLADEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE BELL

  • Dedication Date

    May 31, 1976

  • Decade

    1970s

  • Geographic Coordinates

    34.628580 , -78.605190 View in Geobrowsemap pin

  • Supporting Sources

      "Bladen County Veterans Bell, Elizabethtown," American Legion, www.legion.org, (accessed November 9, 2023) Link

      “Bladen County Courthouse in Elizabethtown, North Carolina,” Bobbystuff.com, (accessed November 5, 2023) Link

  • Public Site

    Yes

  • Materials & Techniques

    Granite, iron

  • Monument Dedication and Unveiling

    The bell was dedicated by Mrs. Wanda Campbell on May 31, 1976 in front of a group of unidentified onlookers.

  • Subject Notes

    The bell can be rung by pulling a role attached to the monument's south side.

  • Location

    The memorial marker is located on the Bladen County Courthouse grounds. It faces northeast toward the intersection of East Broad Street and Courthouse Drive. Other memorials stand on the lawn: the Battle of Elizabethtown marker, the Sallie Salter Monument, the Fallen Heroes Memorial, and the Freedom Tree. The courthouse address is 166 E. Broad St. Elizabethtown, NC 28337.

  • Landscape

    The monument stands at the northeast edge of the Bladen County Courthouse lawn. The lawn is also decorated with shady trees and benches.

  • Post Dedication Use

    The bell is used in the annual celebration of Constitution Week (September 17-23). The bell is rung once for every year since the Constitution was ratified.

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