Editing Liberty Bell (section)

====Hidden in Allentown====
{{Further|High German Evangelical Reformed Church}}
As the [[American Revolutionary War]] intensified, delegates to the [[Second Continental Congress]], colonial era city officials, and Philadelphia citizens were acutely aware that the [[British Army during the American Revolutionary War|British Army]] would likely recast the bell into munitions if they were able to find and secure it. On September 11, 1777, these concerns escalated after [[George Washington|Washington]] and the [[Continental Army]] were defeated in the [[Battle of Brandywine]], leaving the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia defenseless. The city urgently prepared for an inevitable British attack, and it subsequently [[Philadelphia campaign|fell under British occupation]]. Prior to the city's fall to the British, the Liberty Bell and other major bells in Philadelphia were hastily taken down from their towers, and sent by heavily guarded wagon train to [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]] and then to [[High German Evangelical Reformed Church|Zion German Reformed Church]] at 622 [[Hamilton Street]] in [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]], then known as Northampton Towne. In Allentown, the Liberty Bell was hidden under the church's floor boards just as the British entered and began their occupation of Philadelphia.<ref>Nash, p. 19</ref>

The bell remained hidden in Allentown for nine months. In June 1778, following the British retreat from Philadelphia on June 18, 1778, it was returned. Upon the bell's return to Philadelphia, the steeple of the State House was in poor condition, and was subsequently torn down and restored. The bell was placed in storage until 1785, when it was again mounted for ringing.<ref>Kimball, p. 37</ref>

Following the victory of Washington and the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, the bell was placed on an upper floor of State House, later named [[Independence Hall]], where it was  rung on [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]], on [[Presidents' Day|Washington's Birthday]], and on [[election day]] to remind voters to hand in their ballots. It also rang to call students at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] to their classes at nearby [[Philosophical Hall]]. Between 1785 and 1799, when the Pennsylvania state capital was briefly moved to [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]], it was rung to summon state legislators into session.<ref>Kimball, pp. 37–38</ref> When Pennsylvania officials, having no further use for State House, proposed tearing it down and selling the land for building lots, the City of Philadelphia purchased the land, State House, and the Liberty Bell, for $70,000, equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|70000|1800}}}} today.<ref>Kimball, p. 38</ref>