page_title: Villanova University
section_title: The Liberty Bell's "Sister Bell"
hierarchical_section_title: Villanova University / Traditions / The Liberty Bell's "Sister Bell"
caption_attribution_description: The Old Falvey library building at Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA. Taken by submitter 19 Dec 2006.
context_page_description: Villanova University is a private Catholic university in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. Named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, the university is the oldest Catholic university in Pennsylvania and the only Augustinian university in the United States. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". According to the National Science Foundation, Villanova spent $20.7 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 267th in the nation.
  Founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine, the university traces its roots to old Saint Augustine's Church, Philadelphia, which the Augustinian friars of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova founded in 1796, and to its parish school, Saint Augustine's Academy, which was established in 1811. The school's identity remains deeply rooted in its Augustinian Catholic foundation—the majority of students are Catholic, the administration is led by priests, there is a cross on every building, and all students are required to take the Augustine and Culture Seminar course their freshman year.
context_section_description: Villanova University was home to the Liberty Bell's "Sister Bell", the replacement bell ordered from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry after the original bell cracked in 1753. This new bell was installed at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), and attached to the State House clock. The Sister Bell rang the hours until the late 1820s, when the bell was removed during a renovation and loaned to the Olde St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia. In 1829, the bell was hung in a new cupola and tower designed by architect William Strickland. There it remained until May 8, 1844, when it was destroyed, along with the Olde St. Augustine Church, during the Philadelphia Nativist riots. The friars of the Order of Saint Augustine had the "Sister Bell" recast and transferred to Villanova University. The bell was moved off campus in 2011.
  At the university's centennial celebration, the bell was rung by Archbishop Dennis Joseph Dougherty to open the ceremonies. In 1954, the bell was displayed as part of an exhibit at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia that focused on the growth and development of the university. The Sister Bell is currently enshrined in the Heritage Room on the basement floor of the St. Augustine Monastery on Villanova's campus.
caption: The old wing of the Falvey Library
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