Old Ship Zion Church Bell
Old Ship Zion Church on Public Square was the first religious assembly hall in Wilkes-Barre. This bell, the first known church bell in Luzerne County, hung in the church until the building was demolished in 1857. The bell was cast in Philadelphia by George Hedderly on August 6, 1811, and probably brought to Wilkes-Barre shortly afterward. It weighs 680 pounds. During its half century of service in the City, it tolled the day of each month, and the age of the deceased person at his funeral. It also served as a curfew bell, marking the 9:00 p.m. closing time.
The First Presbyterian Church of Pittston purchased the bell when Old Ship Zion was torn down, and used it for some 30 years. Later, when the First Presbyterian church of Wilkes-Barre moved to its new building at the corner of South Franklin and Northampton, and its old building became the Osterhout Free Library, the Pittston church offered to buy the unused bell in the tower of the library building and return Old Ship Zion Bell to Wilkes-Barre. Subsequently, the bell was given to the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society in 1890. Until 1976 it was displayed in the Society's Franklin Street museum.
This location approximates the bell's original position in the Old Ship Zion Church some one hundred sixty six years ago.
Erected 1976.
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Man-Made Features • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Historic Bells series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 6, 1811.
Location. 41° 14.754′ N, 75° 52.931′ W. Marker is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County. It can be reached from Public Square. Monument is on the west side of the Public Square, in downtown. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wilkes Barre PA 18701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region and in the Wyoming Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At
Also see . . . A History of St. Stephens Episcopal Church. Church website entry:
Includes info on Old Ship Zion Church (Submitted on May 4, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 4, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 745 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on May 4, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
