Old City Exchange Bell
Posted by Melanie at 5:10 pm
Believed to be the oldest of its kind, Savannah’s Old City Exchange Bell is proudly displayed in a replica bell tower located on east of City Hall on Bay Street.
Constructed in 1802, the resonating ring was used to signify important events such as city council meetings, business closing time, arrival of important ships, and so on. It was also used as an alert system in case of fires.
The City Exchange Building burned to the ground in the fire of 1796, and the new building was constructed and ready for use in 1799. It wasn’t until Exchange Trustee and Alderman Robert Bolton requested that the City Council import a bell and an eight-day clock to place in the building’s steeple that the bell would find its home in Savannah.
On November 14, 1803 both bell and clock were received, for the price of $990.63, and became a beacon for the city and her citizens.
After the turn of the century, and a New City Hall was built to replace the Exchange building; the bell was taken by Rourke Iron Works where it resided until 1940 when the tower used by Rourke was destroyed in a hurricane. The bell was then taken to the Chamber of Commerce and kept at Dixie Machine Works until the steeple replica was constructed on Bay Street, which is where you can find it today.
The faux tower was dedicated in memory of Mable Clair Speth Hand on February 26, 1957. Ms. Hand was a prominent leader in the Pilot Club and her members thought it was a most fitting way to honor her legacy.
