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All the United States Pennsylvania Allentown The Liberty Bell Hiding Place
The Liberty Bell Hiding Place is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

The Liberty Bell Hiding Place

The famous bell was secreted away and hidden in a church in Allentown during the British occupation of Philadelphia.

Allentown, Pennsylvania

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Liberty Bell Shrine, with a replica of the Liberty Bell, in the basement of Zion’s Memorial Church, 1962   Public Domain
Reproduction of a watercolor by Davis Gray of the arrival of the Liberty Bell at Zions Church.   Davis Gray, Lehigh County Historical Society/Public Domain
Liberty Bell Returns to Allentown for the Bicentennial in 1893.   Public Domain
Liberty Bell Hiding Place [9 - 2024]   springer / Atlas Obscura User
Liberty Bell Hiding Place [9 - 2024]   springer / Atlas Obscura User
Liberty Bell Hiding Place [9 - 2024]   springer / Atlas Obscura User
Liberty Bell Hiding Place [9 - 2024]   springer / Atlas Obscura User
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In September of 1777, the British defeated George Washington’s troops at Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania, prompting panic among the people of Philadelphia who now found themselves defenseless against British occupation.

Facing this threat, the state government ordered that several of the more important bells in Philadelphia be removed from the city to prevent the British from melting them down to forge weaponry. This included the bell from the Pennsylvania State House, the now famous Liberty Bell.

The Liberty Bell was secreted away from Philadelphia and taken to present-day Allentown, escorted by heavy guard and hidden on a hay wagon. It was taken to Zion Reformed Church, where soldiers hid it, along with several other prominent bells, under the church floor. The bell remained hidden in the church throughout the British occupation of Philadelphia, until June of 1778, when the bell was returned to the State House.

Today a replica of the Liberty Bell is on display in a small museum at the historic Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ, which provided safe-keeping to the icon of American Independence all those years ago.

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American Revolution Independence Day History Hidden Military

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  • Meg
  • springer

Published

February 16, 2017

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  • http://libertybellmuseum.org/
The Liberty Bell Hiding Place
622 Hamilton St
Allentown, Pennsylvania
United States
40.602308, -75.470415
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