Community members joined state and local officials in Bellefonte on Friday night to unveil the last of four commemorative bells in Centre County that are part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday in 2026.
The 3-foot-by-3-foot fiberglass bell designed by local artists Holly Foy and James Farrah depicts images from the area’s railroad history and is located outside the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society’s headquarters at the train station in Talleyrand Park.
It’s among four in Centre County that are part of Bells Across PA, an initiative by America250PA to place at least one ceremonial bell in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. Another was unveiled earlier in the day on Friday in downtown Philipsburg, while the first two were dedicated in November at Centre Furnace Mansion in State College and and Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village in Howard.
“These fiberglass bells may not ring, however, they are far from silent,” said Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250PA, Pennsylvania’s commission for the statewide celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial. “Each one tells a story about a community. Each one tells a story about creativity. And most importantly each one tells a story about local pride. We are extremely grateful… to the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society for helping bring this vision to life.”
With support from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and Centre County Board of Commissioners, Centre Foundation, 100+ Women Who Care Centre County and state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, the BHRS commissioned Foy, who “conceptualized the bell design with determination and enthusiasm,” Dan Durachko, the society’s president, said.
Foy asked Farrah to join her on the project and together they worked from historical photos to create the bell, with assistance from Samantha Uhler, of Windward Graphics and Signs.
“I think it’s fair to say that few of us at Bellefonte Railroad knew these talented artists and that they live right here in Bellefonte,” Durachko said. “It’s amazing, the people who are tucked away here in this town.”
Foy planned out the design by searching out photos of Bellefonte’s railroad history and going through pictures from the BHRS and Centre County Historical Society.
“If a picture says a thousand words, we ended up using about 20 images. So it says a whole lot more to that story,” Foy said.
The top of the bell also includes a painting of an airplane in a nod to the area’s role in air mail and early aviation.
State Sen. Cris Dush, R-Jefferson Co., spoke about the foundational role William Penn and Pennsylvania played in what would become the United States, and Benninghoff discussed Bellefonte’s traditions and how organizations like the BHRS keep them alive.
Centre County Commissioner Steve Dershem said that there is much in Bellefonte’s rich history to celebrate, including the railroad, its 200-plus years as the county seat, its sports and music heritage, its role in the Underground Railroad and its status as one of the first communities in America electrified by Thomas Edison.
“We have so much opportunity here to shed a light on to our town,” Dershem said. “There’s lots of tradition, and let’s think about what we can do for next year to make this a special occasion so 50 years from now people go, ‘wow, that was really cool back then.’ There’s little kids that are going to be watching, so make an impression on them.”
Commissioner Mark Higgins said that Centre County is a “very special place” and that Bellefonte is just a short distance from the geographic center of Pennsylvania. He also noted that Centre County is one of the few among the 67 counties in Pennsylvania to have four in the Bells Across PA initiative.
That says something about the local community, Commissioner Amber Concepcion said.
“It really speaks to the enthusiasm of the people of Centre County for recognizing our nation’s 250th anniversary…,” Concepcion said. “It’s been great seeing the unique nature of the art on each of these bells and how they reflect the community.”
For America250PA, Bells Across PA is one of many initiatives undertaken this year to set in motion the celebration in 2026, Coleman explained.
“Across all 67 counties and over 400 communities and counting, 250PA is truly committed to reaching every Pennsylvanian,” Coleman said. “We’ve launched over a dozen initiatives, and now we are focused on an epic calendar of events for next year.”
