The Liberty Bell’s crack was reported to have become irreparable in 1846.
The Philadelphia Public Ledger reported that the bell’s ringing on February 23, 1846, extended an existing crack. The report described the bell as irreparably cracked and effectively silent afterward. The precise origin of the first damage is uncertain, but historians place it sometime between 1817 and 1846.
A popular story says the bell cracked while being rung after the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835. That story became widespread later, but evidence does not establish it as fact. Other traditions connect the damage to visits by the Marquis de Lafayette or to earlier patriotic celebrations.
The bell had been cast in London in 1752 and recast in Philadelphia after the first casting cracked during testing. It became associated with American independence because of its later symbolic use, especially during the 19th century and the 1876 centennial. The Liberty Bell is now displayed at the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia.