West Raleigh in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Memorial Belltower
Photographed by Alexia Ellison-Minter, May 21, 2016
1. Memorial Belltower Marker
North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts required daily military drills, and when the U.S. entered World War I, hundreds of students and alumni enlisted. Thirty-four alumni died in military service.
The idea for a monument to honor NC State University alumni killed in World War I originated with Vance Sykes (class of 1907), and in 1920, architect William Henry Deacy was hired to design the tower.
In 1921 the cornerstone was laid and construction continued through the 1920s until the Great Depression interrupted funding. The tower was completed in 1937 with the aid of the Works Progress Administration and was dedicated on November 11, 1949.
Erected in celebration of the 125th anniversary of North Carolina State University
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Hallowed places are irreplaceable campus buildings, landscapes, and natural settings that have accrued special meaning over time.
Erected 2007 by North Carolina State University.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Education • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the Historic Bells series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 11, 1949.
Location. 35° 47.132′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this memorial is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and in the Research Triangle. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: North Carolina State University at Raleigh (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); N.C. State Fair, 1873-1925 / State Exposition of 1884 / Camp Polk, 1918 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Camp Bryan Grimes (approx. 0.3 miles
Photographed by Alexia Ellison-Minter, May 21, 2016
2. Memorial Belltower Marker
Also see . . . The Memorial Belltower at NCSU. (Submitted on May 21, 2016, by Alexia Ellison-Minter of Raleigh, North carolina.)
Photographed by Alexia Ellison-Minter, May 21, 2016
3. Memorial Belltower
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 21, 2016, by Alexia Ellison-Minter of Raleigh, North carolina. This page has been viewed 513 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 21, 2016, by Alexia Ellison-Minter of Raleigh, North carolina. 3. submitted on April 20, 2026, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
