POLL: Name Clarksville’s Historic GRC Bell

CLARKSVILLE, IN (November 12, 2024) – The Clarksville Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is looking to residents for help in naming an important piece of the town’s history. The HPC has been working for years to save the bell tower from the old George Rogers Clark Elementary School, including the original bell. As part of the project, the HPC is looking to give the historic bell a new name.

Members of the Graninger family volunteered their time to refurbish the bell.

The bell with its cradle weighs approximately 750 pounds and was cast in 1899, most likely by the C.S. Bell Company out of Hillsboro, Ohio. The bell was recently refurbished here in Clarksville by members of the Graninger family (at no charge) and is ready to be installed at its new location.

Before the bell is installed, the HPC would like the community to weigh-in on a new name for the bell. Residents can do that by voting in an online poll by December 1^st. The name options are:

– The George

– The General

– The Eagle (which was the GRC school mascot)

– The Discovery Bell

You can cast your vote by clicking here. The winning name will be announced by the Historic Preservation Commission at a later date.

Work has already begun to renovate the historic bell tower and move it to a more prominent location along the Heritage Trail in Colgate Park. It will sit atop a new brick base making the tower approximately 26 feet tall. A concrete plaza, landscaping, and benches will complete the installation, offering a gathering place and a monument to the history of South Clarksville.

Funding for the project was made possible through a crowdfunding campaign, a $20,000 donation from the Town of Clarksville, and $27,500 from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority’s CreatINg Places program. In total, the HPC raised more than $86,000 for the project.

The GRC bell tower currently sits in disrepair (Left), but the Historic Preservation Commission has plans to renovate the tower and use it to create an iconic gathering space (Right).

The Story of the School Bell Tower

The original name of the school was Howard Park School for the neighborhood in which it stood. The school was built in 1899 on Ely Street, now Stansifer Avenue. In 1929 the name was changed to George Rogers Clark School in honor of the town’s founder and American Revolutionary hero. To locals the school became known as “GRC”.

The Bell Tower, sitting above the entrance of the 2-story school, is what made the building’s architectural statement. The school went through many changes over the years and in 1975 all but the original gymnasium and the bell tower were demolished. The bell tower has remained at that location ever since, and has fallen into disrepair.