The Historic City Hall Bell - American Fork, Utah
Posted by: 
Mooroid
N 40° 22.650 W 111° 47.875
12T E 432266 N 4469962
This bell is at the top of City Hall on Church Street.
Waymark Code: WMB2PX
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 03/27/2011
Views: 3
The bell atop this City Hall has a long history in American Fork. It was originally purchased for $211.17 in 1887, and was placed in the tower of old City Hall at Main and Center Streets. Sorrow, joy, disaster, emergency and other messages were relayed as the bell's long rope was pulled.
The bell was moved when the new City Hall was built in 1903. This was no small task as the bell weighs 1200 pounds.
When City Hall was modernized in 1959, workers found the bell supports were rotting and the belfry was taken down.
The bell was given to the American Fork camps of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers to be preserved. They placed it on a monument in Robison Park, a place rich in pioneer memories and close to the relic hall which reflects the culture and life of pioneer American Fork. There it remained for 46 years.
When plans were made to restore City Hall, citizen groups knew the building would not be complete without the original bell. The bell is the property of of American Fork DUP camps and their bylaws do not permit artifacts which have been donated to be returned. After conferring with the International Society of Daughters of Utah Pioneers, it was decided the bell could be relocated. The city and the DUP had the same goals, preserving the bell.
The bell was removed from the park monument and prepared to again be placed atop City Hall August 16, 2006. A crane lifted the bell first and the new cupola second to once again crown American Fork City Hall.
Address of Tower:
40 North Church Street
American Fork, Utah United States
84003
Still Operational: yes
Number of bells in tower?: 1
Rate tower: 
Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Unknown
Relevant website?: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.