Oregon Liberty Bell replica
Oregon Liberty Bell replica

Oregon Liberty Bell replica

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Oregon Liberty Bell replica

Location: (2024) On the east side of the Capitol building, near the statues.
900 Court Street Northeast
Salem, OR 97310

Serial Number:

Can I ring it? Probably not.

Hours: 24/7 (outdoors).

Update, 02.05.24: Bob Repine, Chair of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, sent me an update on the Oregon Liberty Bell replica and a photo of the restored bell in its new permanent location (below). Here’s a summary: The bell is on the east side of the Capitol grounds, close to the sidewalks, so visitors can get close. The Capitol is still undergoing a $600 million, so it’s an active construction zone, but the bell is now accessible. A formal rededication of the Liberty Bell is in the works, either in June 2025 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the US Treasury Savings Bond drive or in June 2026 to celebrate the US Semiquincentennial. For the latest details and to support the amazing historic preservation efforts of Mr. Repine and his team, visit oregoncapitolfoundation.org.

2020: In June of 2020, Bob Repine, who is actively involved in restoring the Oregon Liberty Bell replica, contacted me. I’m working on a full story and hope to make it to Oregon for the unveiling, whenever that might be.

The Liberty Bell was restored and returned to Oregon on June 24, 2020, and the hope was to rededicate it in connection with the 2021 Legislative Session. Civil unrest and the pandemic changed those plans.

Capitol grounds are under construction. Ultimately, the Oregon Liberty Bell will be located on a yet-to-be-built base in the east end of Willson Park, which surrounds the Capitol, across from a bronze statue entitled The Circuit Rider. There is currently no set date for rededication.

The restoration

Christoph-Paccard Foundry did a complete restoration of the bell. The total cost for the restoration and shipping was under $30,000. The original yoke was made from American Spruce, but it is almost non-existent in the States, so the team used American Oak (pictured being field cut). The bell was cleaned and coated with a protective material, but the patina was left. A cap was added to the top part of the yoke to protect the wood from future water damage caused by Oregon’s wet fall and winter seasons.

Below are some photos Bob provided from before the bell’s restoration.

Repine and his team were in good hands with Christoph-Paccard, stating, “On a personal note, Stan Christoph, owner of the company, worked directly with us and was a great business partner on this amazing restoration.”

The Oregon State Capitol Foundation will be developing some new information about the bell and its history in Oregon and this restoration.

Oregon Liberty Bell replica 2024
Image: Bob Repine, Oregon State Capitol Foundation

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13 Comments

  1. Tom, I wanted to share with you through the Oregon State Capitol Foundation I’m have been working with the Christoph Paccard Foundry in South Carolina to restore Oregon’s Liberty Bell. The bell was shipped back East early in 2020 and we should be seeing the bell back in Oregon in early June. The bells location will still be on the Capitol grounds but relocated closer to where it was placed back in 1950 when the bell was presented to the state. The Oregon State Capitol Foundation was created over twenty years ago to insure the history of Oregon’s Capitol is continual told with all citizens. The Oregon Liberty Bell restoration project is but one of the many projects we are engaged in to help continue telling the ‘Oregon Story’.

  2. Tom Campbell

    Bob, That’s great news. I’d love to share the story of your foundation’s efforts. Not every state shares your affinity for the replicas. In both Wyoming and Nebraska, the bells have quietly gone into storage. Any documentation and photos you’d be willing to share with me would be helpful in telling the story of your bell and its preservation. I have not yet seen the Oregon bell but would love to.

  3. Tom, The Oregon Liberty Bell just returned to Oregon and we are very excited to have it soon be located at its new location in Willson Park which surrounds the Oregon State Capitol. We are planning a rededication event possible in connection with the 2021 Legislative Session. I do have photos and more details which I would be happy to share with you but unable to attach to this response. If you can contact me via my email address I will share photos and more details as you requested in your response to me . Let me just say the Oregon Liberty Bell looks GREAT and will be a outstanding feature on our Capitol Grounds walking tour.

  4. Robert James Farnum

    Does anyone know where the Bell is now? I’m at the Oregon state Capital building and it appears it is under some major renovations and right at the spot where the Bell is supposed to be. Has it been moved to storage?

  5. Lisa Cejka

    I’m a tour guide at the Oregon Capitol. Yesterday I went hunting for our Liberty Bell, after asking capitol staff and a lot of fruitless searching, I finally asked a couple of construction workers and they said they thought it had been moved to it’s new permanent location on the East side of the building. I found it in between the Circuit Rider statue and Court St. It’s surrounded by chain link but I took pictures if you’d like to see it.

    1. Tom Campbell

      Lisa,
      Thanks for the update. Yes, please I’d love to see and post a picture (with your permission) of the bell in its current location. Please let me know if you find out when construction will be finished and the bell will be on public display. I’d love to come see it.

    2. Heidi Peters

      Thank you Lisa! We appreciate your help finding the bell after we searched the west side. It is indeed on the east side in between the rider and Court Street. If people park at Capitol St., NE and Court Street, they will see it right behind the temporary chain-link fence.

      1. Bob

        Tom,
        I sent you an email with an updated location photo. The last two photos on the Oregon Liberty Bell page are the old location.

        For an update on the Bell, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, which I’m the current Chair, is working with the Capitol on an official rededication of the Bell. July 4, 2025 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of receiving the Bell from the Federal Government or on July 4, 2026 to celebrate the 250th birthday of this great nation. Our capitol is still undergoing its 600 million dollar renovation project which is scheduled for completion somewhere between these two optional celebrations dates! I will share more once a date is locked down! I am including the Foundation’s webpage so viewers can watch for future announcements regarding the rededication of the state’s Liberal Bell.
        [email protected]

  6. Bob

    Hi Tom, Yes, the restored Liberty Bell is back on the Captiol grounds in Salem Oregon. It is on the eastside of the Captol grounds and close to the sidewalks so visitors can get close. With our Cpaitol still undergoing a 600 million dollar renovation project we are working with the Captiol Administration on a formal rededication either in Juky 2025 or 2026. If rededicated in 2025 we would tie it to the 75th anniversary of receiving the Liberty Bell from the U.S. Government. If rededicated in 2026 it would be tied with the 250 Anniversary Celebration of this Great Nation! I am the current Chair of the Oregon State Captiol Foundation whose mission is to preserve the Stae Capitols History ! We will be posting details on any upcoming dedication on our webpage. (oregoncapitolfoundation.org)

  7. Bob

    Tom, here is a picture of the State of Oregons Liberty Bell now located on the east side of the capitol. It is on a lower concrete base for safety reasons.

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