City Exchange Fire Bell Monument
City Exchange Fire Bell Monument
City Exchange Fire Bell Monument
City Exchange Fire Bell Monument
Savannah, GA 31401
The City Exchange Fire Bell hung in the cupola of the City Exchange for 100 years until the building was torn down to make way for City Hall. The bell signaled the closing time for shops, served as a fire alarm, and was often used in celebrations and in tributes for fallen heroes.
After the City Exchange burned down in the great fire of 1796, a new City Exchange building (1799-1802) was constructed. A new bell and eight-day clock was imported from Amsterdam. A watchman was stationed in the cupola; and his job was to ring the Exchange bell to signal the location of fires. The Bell was also used to signal the closing time of businesses, signal all important occasions and to signal when a ship was coming into port. The Bell is thought to be the oldest bell in Georgia.
The Old City Exchange Bell historical marker reads:
This bell, which is believed to the oldest in Georgia, bears the date 1802. Imported from Amsterdam, it hung in the cupola of the City Exchange from 1804 until a short time before that building was razed to make way for the present City Hall.
