WEST PITTSTON — The Borough of West Pittston will be participating in the Bells Across America: Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday, on Saturday, July 4 starting with seating at 2 p.m. and bell-ringing at 2:50 p.m. at the Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium.
The national bell-ringing event will take place at noon on the Fourth of July.
The bell tower, situated at the northern end of the stadium, has an interesting past history.
Mary Portelli, the president of the West Pittston Historical Society, accumulated facts on the bell in the tower.
According to Portelli, bell ringing on community and national dates of significance has been part of our local and national history.
West Pittston began their 50th birthday Golden Jubilee celebration in 1907 with bell ringing and the shooting of a cannon.
The exact bell at the stadium rang in 1907 for West Pittston’s birthday. At that time, this bell was installed in the old West Pittston Academy building that once stood where the Montgomery Avenue School currently stands.
This same victory bell also rang in 1976 for our national Bicentennial celebration.
“The bell dates back to 1873 and it is very possible it also rang for our national U.S. Centennial celebration in 1876,” Portelli said. “The bell is a big part of our borough’s history.”
