Purdue Bell Tower
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Purdue Bell Tower is a 160-foot tall bell tower in the center of Purdue University's campus. It was constructed in 1995 through a gift from the class of 1948.
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The current Bell Tower's inspiration comes from the bell tower that was part of the old Heavilon Hall, demolished in 1956. Heavilon Hall was dedicated on January 19, 1894, as part of Purdue's engineering school. Four days later, the building caught fire and was destroyed. In light of this tragedy, James H. Smart, Purdue's president at the time, declared that a new tower would go up "one brick higher." Smart's inspirational words have since become a sort of motto for the university. According to legend, however, the bell tower was actually built nine bricks higher. This second Heavilon tower was completed in December 1895 with clocks on each of the four sides. On April 8, 1897, four bells were installed. These bells would mark every quarter-hour until Heavilon was demolished in 1956.[1]
