School bell given new home in Princeton

Bell installed at Colton School site

(From left) Lovejoy Homestead Board of Trustees members Sara Hudson, Pam Lange, Dana Fine, Ken Corban and docent Lois Peterson pose for a photo near the bell at Colton School on the Lovejoy Homestead in Princeton. Rob Jensen also is a member of the board. (Photo provided by Nancy Gartner)

August 06, 2024 at 10:47 am CDT

A school bell has been installed outside the 1850 Colton School located on the grounds of the Lovejoy Homestead in Princeton.

The bell was brought from Pennsylvania to Bureau County in 1852 by the Sparks family. It was used at the Harrington one-room school in Bureau Township for many years. When the school closed, the bell was given to Jane Lampkin and Lois Peterson, descendants of the Sparks family. Lampkin and Peterson have worked at the Lovejoy Homestead as docents and presented the bell to the Homestead in honor of all the students and teachers who have attended a one-room school.

The Lovejoy Homestead/Colton School are open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from May to September. For more information, call 815-878-2660 or 815-875-1444.