The Founder's Bell

Did you know? When Huntingdon's first courthouse went up on Third Street, the man who laid out the town paid for its bell himself.

Dr. William Smith bought it from the Philadelphia bell founder Samuel Parker and presented it to the borough. The receipt survives, dated April 5, 1798. The bell carried his name cast right into it: "Cast by Samuel Parker, Philada., 1798. William Smith, D. D., to the borough of Huntingdon, Juniata."

That bell called the county to court for decades. And when the old Third Street courthouse finally came down, the town did not scrap it. They lifted it into the cupola of the school house, and it went right on ringing, calling children in to learn instead of calling men in to be judged.

It rang until a frosty morning, December 12, 1861, when it cracked while calling the schools.

The founder's bell spent its whole life calling this town to something better.

From the record

Passages about this subject, quoted from county histories now in the public domain. Each one names the book and the position in the text so it can be checked. Spelling is as printed.

As provided in the organic act, the courts were held in the house of Ludwig Sell until the erection of a court-house. Sell's house was a double two-story log structure on Allegheny street, between Second anJ Third streets, and was kept as a tavern by Mr. Sell, being the first public house of entertainment in Huntingdon. It was not long, however, until the trustees took the necessary steps to carry out the provisions of the act in the matter of erecting a court-house and jail. The first court-house stood between Penn and Allegheny streets, fronting on Third street. It was a brick edifice of three stories, one of which was a basement, in which were the offices of the prothonotary, register, recorder and clerk of the courts. Upon its completion the justices were escorted to the court-house with fife and drum, and for some time this method was in use to announce the sessions of the court. In 1798 a bell was placed on the court-house, after which the use of the fife and drum was discontinued. The bell weighed 254 pounds and bore the inscription "Cast by Samuel Parker, Philadelphia, 1798. William Smith, D.D., to the Borough of Huntingdon, Juniata." When the old court-house was torn down in the spring of 1848 the bell was placed upon the public school building, where it continued in use until December 12, 1861, when it was broken while ringing for school.John W. Jordan, ed., History of the Juniata Valley and Its People (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1913) · character 119,606 of the scanned text

This bell weighed two hundred and fifty-four pounds, and bore the following inscription: "Cast by Samuel Parker, Phila., 1798. William Smith, D.D., to the Borough of Huntingdon, Juniata."! After the completion of a new courthouse in 1842 the old building fell into the possession of the borough authorities, who permitted it to be used for religious and public meetings until it was demolished in May, 1848, when the street it so long obstructed was again opened to its full width. By 1839, the population and wealth of the county had so increased as to justify the erection of a new building better proportioned to the business of the courts and the necessities of the public offices. A location on Penn Street near Fifth was proposed, but the county authorities finally decided to locate upon a plot two hundred feet square, being lots 31, 32, 33, and 34, extending from Penn to Washington Street, east of Third Street. John Cadwallader, an early settler and prominent member of the bar, owned and resided on the last three lots. Stephen Drury, a clock and mathematical instrument maker, owned lot No. 31.J. Simpson Africa, History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1883) · character 343,554 of the scanned text

The lot is now owned by Mr. Thomas Fisher, by whom the old building has been torn away and a spacious brick dwelling erected, fronting on Penn street. The first court house built by the county stood in Third street, between Penn and Allegheny, about fifteen feet from and fronting towards the former. It was a substantial three-story brick edifice. One of the stories was a basement, having an entrance from the southern side, in which were the offices of the Prothonotary, Register, Recorder and Clerks of the Courts. Some time after its erection, a bell was placed upon it for the purpose of calling the courts, but previously it had been customary to escort the justices to the court house with the fife and drum, and suitors, jurors and witnesses were summoned to their duties by the same music. The bell was a large one, weighing two hundred and fifty four pounds, and had inscribed upon it: " Cast by Samuel Parker, Philadelphia, 1798. D. to the Borough of Huntingdon, Juniata." After the demolition of the building, in May, 1818, the bell was placed upon the public school-house and was used until December 12th, 1861. That being a frosty morning, on ringing for school, it was broken. The present court house stands upon the northern side of Penn street, between Second and Third, occupying the lots HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 97 from 31 to 34, inclusive.Milton Scott Lytle, History of Huntingdon County (Lancaster: William H. Roy, 1876) · character 181,402 of the scanned text

Checked 2026-07-29 · County history, independently fact checked

← All stories from Huntingdon borough