The St. Peter’s Memorial Bell Tower is a project that was decades in the making. It was built to house two historic bells that honor Loudoun County’s veterans. The older of the bells was given to the Hamilton parish in 1909 by Major and Mrs. A.S. Nicholson in memory of their son, Lieutenant Jesup Nicholson. The “Loudoun Bell” is the handiwork of Louise Nichols, a lady of vision who sought to honor the war dead with the bell.

The First World War took a particularly heavy toll on the county’s young men. Thirty lost their lives. In 1921, the ladies of St. Peter’s raised the funds and purchased the bell for $550. It was cast in bronze at a Baltimore foundry in May 1922.

Neither initial building plans for the 1964 parish nor plans for the new St. Peter’s sanctuary built in 1987 provided for a bell tower. Over the years, however, members and friends of St. Peter’s have never given up their commitment to provide a permanent home for the bells. In October 1998, the vestry unanimously approved the St. Peter’s Bell Tower Committee’s motion to proceed with the project. This project was completed in the Spring of 2001 and the bell tower was dedicated on Pentecost Sunday of 2001.

The St. Peter’s parish family is particularly proud of the dedication and perseverance of those who have supported the bells over the years. We celebrate the fruits of their labor each time the bells toll from their new home.