The Liberty Bell is an enduring symbol of America’s freedom, and so too will be the wooden replica created for Lebanon County’s celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.
Currently housed in the lobby of the Lebanon Valley Expo Center, the white pine carving of the Liberty Bell designed by Randy Pieller of Artistry Extreme has been built to last.
“People think my carvings are made out of oak, but the wood is white pine, which is a carving wood,” said Pieller, who lives and creates his patriotic pieces in the Leesport, Berks County, area. “White pine is a long-lasting wood as long as it is treated right. It can be kept outside and it will outlast most other hardwoods.”
Lebanon County Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Yocum, who commissioned Pieller to create the artwork for the Lebanon County 250th Committee, also appreciates its durability.
“It’s very exciting to know that this will last forever, it’s a forever piece,” said Yocum. “I love being a part of things that can last forever and let people know what America’s about.”
It was a no-brainer for Yocum to foot the bill for the piece since he has worked with Pieller in the past and is, quite possibly, Lebanon County’s most patriotic citizen.
Besides his yard in West Cornwall Township, which contains a number of patriotic carvings exhibited weather-permitting, he literally wears his patriotism on his sleeve – not to mention the rest of his clothing.
“I don’t know if you’ve seen my yard in the past, but I’m an American kind of guy,” said Yocum. “It was my pleasure (to commission it). I don’t think there’s anybody that supports America more than I do. I dress in an Americana theme every day and, like I said, my yard is a dedication to America. I’m a gung-ho American.”
The idea to create a wooden Liberty Bell was part Pieller’s, part Yocum’s idea, which comes as no surprise given the latter’s deep love he has for his country. It was also the perfect marriage to do this project in cooperation with Lebanon County’s 250th Anniversary Committee.
“I got an award from the Daughters of the American Revolution – their patriotic award of the year. And when they came and gave me the award, they mentioned the 250th anniversary coming up, and I said the next thing to do was the Liberty Bell. So I said, ‘Hey, let me do the Liberty Bell and you guys can use it to tour around,’” said Yocum. “I told them it was their Liberty Bell to do with as they wanted and they were really excited.”
Pieller said conversations about the bell began in spring 2024, and he started carving around September. Once work begins, carving is a fairly quick process, he said; for example, a 12-foot-tall Statue of Liberty Pieller created for Yocum’s yard was completed quickly, as were an American eagle and 10- by 15-foot American flag.
“When you are working with chainsaws, it doesn’t take very long, I move a lot of wood quickly,” he said. “From start to finish, hour-wise, it’s hard to tell how much time was involved.”
The collaboration was also an ideal opportunity for the local anniversary committee. They wanted to avoid the exorbitant cost of the suggested Liberty Bell being sold by the national anniversary committee, according to local committee member Bonnie Loy.
“The official bell cost – if you had one cast – $250,000,” said Loy. “They also had a replica bell that was fiberglass that cost $10,000 but we never saw a mock-up of it, so we have no idea what it would have looked like.”
Meanwhile, the committee is beyond pleased with the final product.
“When they saw it after it was finished they were very ecstatic and pleasantly surprised. They are very happy with it,” said Loy. “It is beyond anything that I would have ever expected. He always uses chainsaws, which, first of all, completely blows my mind. I mean, I could start a chainsaw and possibly help cut a tree down but there’s no way I could do the design and the intricate things that he does.”
The bell is a wonderful work of art, Yocum said, containing the famous crack along with the dates “1776” and “2026” at the top and “250 YEAR ANNIVERSARY,” which was carved later and placed at the base.
“He’s unbelievable and it didn’t take him long to make it,” said Yocum. “I mentioned that we needed to set it off, so the 250th anniversary that’s in front of it now was my idea, but he made it come to life. He’s been doing work for me for years and his work is just incredible.”
Loy is also appreciative of the color that’s been added and the value the bell brings to promote festivities next year. The committee has been crafting plans for a big birthday day in 2026, including a countywide celebration on July 4, 2026.
“The biggest thing I think that we’re trying to do is promote the 250th anniversary,” she said. “We’ve been amazed that we’ve had a table at events and people look at us with a deer-in-the headlights kind of look. They say, ‘Didn’t we have an anniversary in 1976?’ Yes, we did but that was the 200th and now it is the 250th next year. Seeing the Liberty Bell, especially with the red, white, and blue, really helps to catch the eye.”
Adding color was a purposeful decision.
“They wanted it to stand out, so I suggested using the flag to make it pop along with the 250th year,” said Pieller. “If I painted it and it didn’t come out right, I knew I could always resand it.”
Loy noted the committee is formulating a plan in the coming days to make the Liberty Bell replica available to businesses and schools that would like to display it.
The committee plans to request donations to help defray costs associated with the big day in July 2026 and for schools to use it as an educational resource. She noted two Lebanon County school districts have already expressed interest in displaying it.
The Liberty Bell was featured in the Lebanon and Myerstown holiday parades last year, with plenty more opportunities for county residents to see it in the coming months. Loy noted that individuals wishing to serve on the county’s 250th committee can reach out to them via the group’s Facebook page at “Lebanon PA – 250 PA.”
“Do you want to help? Get involved and be a part of our history – our living history – that we are going to be a part of in 2026,” she added.
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