{"nrhp_refnum":"69000347","name":"Bell Tower","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Capitol Sq.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond (Independent City)","county":"Richmond (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.53914182800003,"lon":-77.43493143299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-06-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A square, three-story brick bell tower in Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia, built in 1824 by Levi Swain in the Federal style. It is owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia.","why_significant":"The tower replaced an earlier wooden one and served as a guardhouse for the Public Guard and a signal tower for emergencies and meetings. Its bell sounded alarms during the Civil War, including the approach of the gunboat Pawnee in 1861 and Dahlgren's Raid in 1864. The nomination also praises its design and its role as a focal point at the end of Franklin Street.","narrative":"Rising in Capitol Square in Richmond, this square, three-story brick tower was built in 1824 by Levi Swain to replace an earlier wooden structure. It has one bay on each side, with a wide recessed arch above the first floor holding a rectangular window topped by a round one. A simple cornice supports a domed, arcaded octagonal belvedere with a wooden balustrade, which houses the bell. The tower began as a guardhouse for the Public Guard and as a signal tower for emergencies and meetings. Its bell announced the approach of the Federal gunboat Pawnee on April 21, 1861, and sounded the alarm for Dahlgren's Raid on February 7, 1864. The bell now in the tower dates from 1933. Apart from repointing and a replacement balustrade, the building has changed little. Its Federal-style design and its position as a focal point at the end of Franklin Street contributed to its recognition.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (19th century); specific date 1824","architect_builder":"Levi Swain","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as fair; relatively unchanged apart from repointing of the brickwork and replacement of the balustrade. Listed as occupied and used as headquarters for the First Virginia Regiment.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:56.905731-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/87/6831/41683187/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/69000347.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000347/b520d69b80-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000347/b520d69b80-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Smash the Iron Cage","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bell_Tower,_Richmond-1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Smash the Iron Cage</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bell_Tower,_Richmond-1.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"71000982","name":"James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/james-river-and-kanawha-canal-historic-district-71000982/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683187","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q121323871"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/richmond/bell-tower-69000347/"}