Mirror photo by Rachel Foor-Musselman / American Legion Post 516 Commander Sam Dunkle spreads his arms in victory as the bell within the Blair County Courthouse's clocktower tolls the hour for the first time in decades.

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The bell within the Blair County Courthouse’s clocktower tolled the hour for the first time in nearly 50 years to celebrate its restoration and the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“Today, we celebrate the return of the courthouse clocktower in working order,” said American Legion Post 516 Commander Sam Dunkle. “This day will go down in local history as the day the bell struck back.”

Dozens of people gathered in the shade along Union Avenue in the minutes leading up to 10 a.m., when the bell was scheduled to toll for the first time. Dunkle told the crowd that the bell’s striker was computerized and would “ring on the hour to match the actual time.”

“We are going to program this clock’s striker to ring first thing in the morning at 6 a.m.,” Dunkle said. “Then the last ring will be at 8 p.m. to keep the local citizens happy.”

The American Legion Post 516, also known as Fort Fetter, spearheaded the campaign to raise funds for the clocktower’s restoration beginning in February with an original goal of reaching $75,000.

“I can’t tell you how many people said to me ‘you’re not going to get $75,000,'” Dunkle said. “You’re right — we got over $100,000. We must have touched the hearts and minds of several patriotic members in our community as we raised that money from over 130 sponsors.”

Those donors will be honored on a plaque mounted by the courthouse’s employee exit. Dunkle noted the donation cut-off to be on the plaque is the end of the month.

While the bell itself has been restored, there is still work to be done on the tower as the campaign enters its second phase. In the early fall, a contractor will replace the clock’s four faces, which have been “slightly damaged” since their installation in 1876, Dunkle said.

“We also will illuminate the clock faces from within as well as all four sides of the tower being lit every night,” Dunkle said. “So, when you come over Catfish or you come west on 22, you’re going to see it all lit up. And we’ll have special colors for special events.”

Senior Judge Jolene Kopriva, who assisted in the campaign, said Blair County “very quickly” outgrew its first courthouse built right after the county was established in 1846. Construction on the second courthouse began in 1875 and was “dedicated almost to the day, 149 years ago, July 2, 1877.”

“And here we are today, 149 years later, rededicating the clocktower of this stately structure, reminding us of the importance of this government building, which serves you as the citizens with courts and many governmental services,” Kopriva said.

In noting the bell’s significance, Kopriva told those gathered that in 1875, “they served as a method of communication” before inventions of radio, television, telephones and social media. Apart from time keeping, bells announced major events, marked celebrations and gave warnings of fires based on “their codes and different striking patterns.” It is believed that the courthouse’s bell rang during the Battle of Gettysburg to alert residents that the fighting could head toward Hollidaysburg.

“Bells were embedded in the way of life,” Kopriva said. “Today, we not only rededicate the clocktower, but we also honor our ancestry and town-founding citizens who generously gave of their time and their talent to create this grand courthouse for their purposes and far into the future.”

Commissioner David Kessling, who sat on the clocktower campaign board, called the occasion “historic.”

“In today’s fast-paced world with countless deadlines, we unfortunately pass by this historic building without stopping to actually observe the history and the beauty,” Kessling said. “I don’t know when the bell fell silent, nor when father time was no longer displayed on the large clocktower dials, but I am hopeful that when people hear the bell ring, they will stop for a moment and look.”

In closing out the ceremony, Dunkle implored the crowd to be proud of the American ingenuity that “has led the way in moving us forward.”

“May this iconic building last for the next 250 years, may God bless America and may our country live to reach 500 years and beyond,” Dunkle said.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.