With an alumni family donation to enhance NC State’s Belltower, the long history of the landmark’s construction is wrapping up almost 100 years after it began.
Bill Henry, a College of Textiles alumnus, and his wife Frances Henry donated an undisclosed amount to ensure the completion of the Belltower. With the donation, the NC State Facilities Division plans on completing and installing the bells, adding an interior staircase and renovating both the surrounding plaza, to be named Henry Square, and interior of the Belltower to be sure the tower stands for years to come.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how important and significant that gift is for the Belltower itself,” said Tom Stafford, former vice chancellor for student affairs. “In my mind, it is the most important structure and symbol on campus.”
The Facilities Division has wasted no time in planning what improvements the Henry family donation will bring to the Belltower.
“Facilities will take the lead in repairing the whole Belltower,” said Lisa Johnson, the university architect. “It has a lot of water damage and a little bit of structural damage. We think we will be able to accomplish the cleaning of the Belltower, the waterproofing, adding new stairs, fixing loose mortar, restoring the surrounding plaza and also adding the bells. We are hoping to be completely done in the spring of 2021.”
Donations and support from alumni and sponsors prove to be making a huge impact for students, faculty, staff and the NC State community across the globe.
“Donors are critical. Many of the things we want to accomplish as a university, we would never to be able to do without private support,” said Alan Taylor, executive director of Central Major Gifts. “We have been trying to complete the Belltower for almost 100 years. Without the support of the Henrys, that clock on completing the Belltower would have continued ticking. And it’s not just the Belltower, it is scholarships, study abroad and others that would not happen without private support.”
With this donation acting as the final piece of the Memorial Belltower’s construction, the history and legacy of the project will long be remembered as a monument nearly a century in the making at NC State.
“The tower was built by NC State alumni to honor their fellow classmates who served their country in the military and were killed in World War I,” Stafford said. “They started to build the Belltower by laying the cornerstone in 1921, and it took 26 years to finish it. It was built in the middle of the Great Depression so it took a long time to finish the project, and it was not dedicated until 1949. Bells have never been put into the tower, even though it was originally designed to do so. After that is all done, the tower will finally be finished.”
The granite exterior and the marble interior were pieced together slowly over time. Even though the Belltower was made to chime, a recording has been playing instead of actual bells since its dedication.
“What is interesting to me is the whole history of the Belltower,” Johnson said. “It was finished in increments over time, and the story still continues. We have called it the Belltower for years, but it never really had bells in it. So now, we are really going to complete the Belltower.”
In addition to being a memorial, the Belltower has become a symbol and representation of NC State that is recognizable across the state, nation and even the world.
“The tower represents the commitment and the long, proud tradition that NC State has of training and producing great leaders for our country,” said Stafford, who has guided over 350 tours of the Belltower.
Even though most current and former members of the Wolfpack have a special place in their hearts for the structure, the Belltower has been set aside by the University as one of the most sacred places on campus.
“In 2007, we established, through the Master Planning Network, the nine hallowed places on campus,” Johnson said. “Those are places that are irreplaceable and most symbolic to NC State. Practically everyone can agree that the Belltower is the most hallowed place on campus. So being able to repair and restore it so that it will last on into our future is a reflection on our pride, heritage and respect for the past.”
The addition of 54 bells, an improved plaza and other renovations to the 115-foot tower on the corner of Hillsborough Street will ring in a new season in the history of NC State as the historic and personal significance of the Belltower for so many people lives on nearly a century after it was erected.
“The Belltower means something to so many alums, people who work at the University and people in the community,” Taylor said. “It has become the symbol of the University. The place where we celebrate and congregate. So, for it to finally be complete and the vision of what the Belltower was supposed to be finally happening, I think it is another point in time where we as NC State can say this is one of the best times in our history. It was one thing, having the symbol of the University unfinished, that we can finally put a stamp on and say that it is done and move forward in our history.”
