Paccard foundry
- Cast in France
- Bellmakers since 1796
- Liberty Bell replica
650+ Americans honored since 1994
The Belladier,
a life rung in service
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The story of David Hall, the devoted ringer, promoter and travel companion to America's traveling Liberty Bell.
Honored by
- U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
- FDNY
- Two presidents
- Sons of the American Revolution
- The American Legion
Who is the Belladier
Very few bells have a belladier. This one had David Hall.
A sandblaster by trade, Hall found his true calling in 1994. He spent the rest of his life on the road with the United States' only exact mobile replica of the Liberty Bell.
He rang it at events across the country, mostly in honor of military servicemembers, and rode with the Patriot Guard Riders.
Learn moreMiles on the road300,000
Americans honored650+
The Bell
Cast in France, rung across America.
Houston, 1976
- Landed at the port of Houston
- Made for the Bicentennial
- Mobile, trailer-mounted
A clear “E”
- Toll every 20 seconds as mourners gather
- Every 3 seconds as a servicemember is carried
- Seven final notes at the burial
On the shoulder
“Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof”
The Journey
Three trucks. 300,000 miles.
Hall towed the bell to memorials, patriotic events, and military and police funerals. In Philadelphia, 4,000 visitors lined up to give it a ring.
Along the way the bell and its belladier were recognized by veterans' groups, firefighters and two presidents.
Trucks worn out3
Rang in Philadelphia4,000
Timeline
From the foundry to the final toll.
- Arrives in Houston1
- David Hall finds his calling2
- Funerals, memorials & events3
- 4,000 ring it in Philadelphia4
- The bell tolls for the belladier5
Legacy
“We are not sure if God gave this bell to David or David gave the bell to God.” A Patriot Guard Rider
David Hall died of pancreatic cancer in 2011, at sixty years old. At his farewell, his 14-year-old grandson took the rope in hand and rang the bell for him.
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