Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington Seattle Ballard Centennial Bell Tower

Ballard Centennial Bell Tower

A 1,000 pound brass bell commemorates a time when this small maritime neighborhood was actually its own separate city.

Seattle, Washington

Added By
Megan Roberts
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Aty Trocious / Atlas Obscura User
  Aty Trocious / Atlas Obscura User
City Hall Bell History   Aty Trocious / Atlas Obscura User
The Grand (whats left of it) Bell Tower   Aty Trocious / Atlas Obscura User
Seattle- Ballard Ave historic district plaque   Wikimedia Commons- Joe Mabel
Ballard bell tower   Wikimedia Commons- Joe Mabel
Ballard City Hall Municipal Building, 1915   Seattle Municipal Archives
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

A tall, red-brick bell tower proudly stands at the center of Seattle's tiny Marvin Gardens, marking the former location of independent Ballard's old City Hall.  

An industrious town built on mill and boat labor and populated mainly by Scandinavian immigrants, Ballard maintained its identity as a separate city from 1890 to 1907.  As city population grew, Ballard's lack of fresh water and a proper sewage system became insurmountably problematic.   The city was dependent on a shared water supply with neighboring Seattle, but a 1906 Supreme Court ruling declared that Seattle was by no means required to share their fresh water and the city of Ballard was left in a dire situation.  Residents voted against annexation the first time it was proposed, but Ballard was eventually left with no choice but to be incorporated into Seattle.  When the annexation occurred on May 29, 1907, the City Hall was mournfully draped with black crepe and Ballard's flags were hung at half-mast in a sorrowful display of the town's disappointment.

The City Hall's brass bell was once rung several times daily to announce shift ends at the local shingle mills and curfew for the town's children; its last official ringing was on the day that Ballard reluctantly was incorporated into the city of Seattle.  The City Hall was used for various purposes for the next several decades until a large earthquake in 1965 caused irreparable structural damage and lead to a planned demolition two years later.  On April 11, 1976, Ballard Avenue was officially designated a National Historic District as part of the U.S. Bicentennial Project.  The brass bell was restored that year and placed in the brick bell tower in which it still resides today, a remnant from the days when Ballard vehemently maintained its independence from the city of Seattle. 

These days the bell has been revamped and electro-magnetically charged to strike on the hour from 9am to 9pm daily, ringing for a full minute on Sundays at 10am and again at 3pm to declare the opening and closing hours of the local Ballard Farmer's Market.

 

Related Tags

Belltowers History

Community Contributors

Added By

meganmichelle

Edited By

hrnick, Blindcolour, Aty Trocious

  • hrnick
  • Blindcolour
  • Aty Trocious

Published

August 9, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=298
Ballard Centennial Bell Tower
22nd Ave NW & Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, Washington, 98107
United States
47.667634, -122.384747
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Bergen Place Park and Mural

Seattle, Washington

miles away

Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop

Seattle, Washington

miles away

Majestic Bay Theatre

Seattle, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Seattle

Seattle

Washington

Places 131
Stories 18

Nearby Places

Bergen Place Park and Mural

Seattle, Washington

miles away

Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop

Seattle, Washington

miles away

Majestic Bay Theatre

Seattle, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Seattle

Seattle

Washington

Places 131
Stories 18

Related Places

  • The Old Main Bell

    Fort Collins, Colorado

    The Old Main Bell

    After being lost for nearly a century, this historic bell finally returned home after its mysterious theft.

  • The bell.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Netherbow Bell

    The bell that once tolled atop a lost Edinburgh gate now hangs for all to see.

  • London, England

    Whitechapel Bell Foundry

    This unassuming building produced some of the world's most famous bells.

  • Venice, Italy

    Torcello Bell Tower

    Stare out over the lagoon and beyond from this 10th-century campanile on the island where the city of Venice began.

  • The Quarter Boys and their message.

    East Sussex, England

    The Quarter Boys

    Two gilded cherubs perched on a church bell tower have been reminding visitors of the finitude of life since 1760.

  • Front of the monument from the ground

    Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany

    Niederwald Monument

    Hilltop monument to the victory of a new nation in the Franco-Prussian War.

  • Pune, India

    Shivsrushti

    A historical theme park based on the life and times of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

  • Metz, France

    Statue of the Prophet Daniel on the Metz Cathedral

    A neo-gothic statue modeled on German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, which had its distinctive mustache shaved off by Nazis in World War II.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.