Symbolic structure named for founding president
Charleston Southern University held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 2, for an iconic landmark and new place for fellowship on its campus — a bell tower. A symbol of CSU’s foundation of Christian identity and commitment to the Great Commission, the $2.5 million project made entirely possible through philanthropic gifts also honored the founding president of CSU, John A. Hamrick.
“Universities are places where generations come and go,” said CSU President B. Keith Faulkner. “Students arrive with hopes and dreams, they discover their calling, they build friendships, they grow in their faith, and eventually, they leave this place prepared to learn, lead, and serve. But while the people on a campus change, certain landmarks remain. They become part of the story of a university. The Dr. John A. Hamrick Bell Tower will become one of those landmarks.”
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Dr. John A. Hamrick Bell Tower: (l to r) Board of Trustees member Ron Brantley, Board chair Dean Murphy, Board member Gloria Thiem, and CSU President B. Keith Faulkner.
The tower is estimated to be around 70 feet tall, with 37 cast bronze bells inside spanning three full octaves. The bells will be cast by the Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry in the Netherlands, which is one of the only remaining foundries in the world that casts large, musically tuned carillon bells. Combining historic flair with modern function, the tower will also feature a digital controller using state-of-the-art technology.
In addition to the water features and walkways surrounding the tower, the new structure will also incorporate the cross from the former First Baptist Church of North Charleston’s steeple. The church was the first site of the then-Baptist College at Charleston as it was building the campus on what is now University Boulevard.
The bells within Hamrick Bell Tower will ring in significant moments in the life of the university, such as convocation and graduation, as well as designated times each day with songs that remind the campus community of CSU’s rich history of faith integration and service.
Faulkner added, “One day soon, we will stand here again and hear these bells ring across campus for the first time. And when they do, I hope their sound reminds every one of us of something we know to be true: God has been faithful to Charleston Southern University.”
The family of Dr. John A. Hamrick, the first president of Charleston Southern University, beside sign announcing construction of bell tower.
— Jenna Johnson is executive director of Marketing and Communication at CSU.