In which building was the Liberty Bell hidden during the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777–1778?

The Liberty Bell was hidden in Zion German Reformed Church during the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1777–1778.

As British forces approached Philadelphia in 1777, American officials feared that the city’s bells could be melted down for ammunition. The Liberty Bell and other bells were removed from their towers and transported under guard to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The bell was then concealed beneath the floorboards of Zion German Reformed Church in Allentown, which was then called Northampton Town. It remained there for roughly nine months, until British forces withdrew from Philadelphia in June 1778.

The bell was originally known as the State House Bell or Old State House Bell. The name “Liberty Bell” became popular in the 19th century, especially through abolitionist use. Although tradition links it with the 1776 reading of the Declaration, no contemporary account proves that it rang for that event.