SC Rigging LLC, a Philadelphia-based company, was selected by the Independence Historical Trust to plan and execute the critical rigging responsibilities related to the removal of the Bicentennial Bell from storage, the transportation to its new home and the final installation of the bell at Benjiman Rush Garden. On Saturday April 6, 2024, working in close collaboration with its sister-company, Sautter Crane Rental, the SC Rigging team oversaw the bell’s journey to its new home and then successfully installed the bell at Benjiman Rush Garden.
In 2023, Independence National Historic Park and the Independence Historical Trust commenced with a collaborative effort to transform the Benjiman Rush Garden at 3rd and Walnut Streets in historic Philadelphia. The purpose of this renovation project was to provide a new home for the Bicentennial Bell. The Bicentennial Bell was a gift from the People of Great Britain to the People of the United States, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the bell in 1976 during her visit to Independence Historical Park. Between 1976 and 2013 the bell was displayed at the park’s old visitor center until it was eventually placed into storage to make way for construction of the Museum of the American Revolution.
The rest of the garden project is expected to be completed during the summer of 2024, thereby allowing the Bicentennial Bell to be on public display for the first-time since 2013. This project represents just one of the many exciting projects that Independence National Historical Park plans to have completed as the park prepares for the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.
