Chamber, America250PA partner for Bells Across PA campaign
Ding-dong!
Local artists are being sought to design a bell that tells a story from Washington County’s history as part of America250PA’s Bells Across Pa campaign.
Bells Across PA will be a key part of Pennsylvania’s celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026 with the goal of having at least one fiberglass replica Liberty Bell in each of the commonwealth’s 67 counties for public viewing.
“I want to flex, we are the birthplace of American democracy,” said Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250PA. “We want the rest of the country and the rest of the world to know that we are ready to welcome visitors in 2026.”
Coleman was at the Washington County Historical Society Education & Research Center Wednesday to discuss the partnership between America250PA and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Agency, the local sponsor for the Washington County bell.
“We are partnering with America250PA in the Bells Across PA program to shine a spotlight on the county’s many successes and the impacts we’ve had on this great nation,” said Jeff Kotula, chamber president. “We are excited to recognize Washington County’s role in the founding of the United States. This bell will symbolize the county’s contributions to the development of our nation by symbolizing our past, present and future, and will do so through the eyes of a local artist.”
Clay Kilgore, executive director of the Washington County Historical Society, explained that the last battle of the Revolutionary War in the western frontier took place at Rice’s Fort in Claysville, displaying the county’s deep connection to the country’s history.
America250PA was established by the Pennsylvania Legislature and Gov. Thomas Wolf in 2018 to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of the country’s semiquincentennial celebration, Pennsylvania’s integral role in that event, and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present and future.
“We want to make sure that we are not only learning from our history, but really embracing where we are with our present,” Coleman explained. “Most importantly, we want to reimagine our future. We want to make sure we are engaging our youngest Pennsylvanians, but on an age-appropriate level so they start to understand and they develop a pride of community.”
Coleman said Bells Across PA is an idea that’s been in the making since the inception of America250PA.
“We were trying to think of ways to engage every county,” she said. “We have the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and so many other locations across the commonwealth have done fiberglass replicas (of something representative of their area), so we thought how cool would it be to actually replicate the Liberty Bell as part of this initiative. It’s getting folks really engaged and excited. It’s really wonderful to see folks coming together and see folks promoting community at a time when we need it most. I have never been more proud of this commonwealth, because folks really came together for this initiative.”
Each of the bells will be funded by sponsors in each county and adorned and transformed by local artists. Coleman said as of Wednesday there were commitments for 88 bells across the state, as some counties have had organizations fund more than one bell.
The bells will be 3-by-3 feet on a one-foot base.
Any interested artist may submit a portfolio for consideration. Details on the commissioning of the project are available at washcopa250.com.
Up to five artists will be commissioned and compensated to submit a pencil-drawn rendering of their vision for the bell. One artist will be selected and compensated to compose the final artwork on the bell. The artists will be selected by the chamber in consultation with America250PA, as every bell must receive final approval at the state level.
Past and current residents of Washington County are encouraged to submit artwork, and all forms of art are welcome.
“We want to make sure as many people as possible participate in this,” Kotula said. “We want this to be interactive, we want this to be engaging to our county community.”
The completed bell is to be unveiled at the Canonsburg Fourth of July Parade in 2025, with the hope to have it taken to Wild Things Park to be on display as part of the evening’s fireworks show.
There will be other stops for the bell in the county in the subsequent months before it is taken to the historical society’s education and research center on East Maiden Street in Washington, where it will be on permanent display. All bells must be in place at their final destination by Dec. 31, 2025.
Coleman said a map will be developed that will show the location of each of the bells.
“We want Pennsylvanians moving around Pennsylvania, but we want to attract national tourists as well as all of the international opportunities we will have here in the Commonwealth,” she said. “We want to make sure we hand those tourists on a silver platter a map to really visit all of the beautiful locations around the commonwealth.”