Bell and Bell Pull
In the upstairs landing are the bell and bell pull that are original to the building. The bell was manufactured by Henry N. Hooper & Company in 1859. Henry Hooper was an apprentice under Paul Revere and Hooper’s company produced lamps, bells, and even artillery for the Union army during the Civil War. The bell is rung each year on Constitution Day, September 17th, and on March 2nd to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Texas. Children pull the rope when they come in on school trips. The bell has been a major part of the story and history of the Nacogdoches University Building. One local story describes how the bell was removed and hidden in an abandoned well on the school grounds and was found a few days later when an anonymous note was left of its whereabouts.
https://www.masshist.org/database/2487?ft=Collection%20Guides&from=/collection-guides/view/fap050