July 31, 2026
Fort Fetter American Legion Post 516 is located in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Our post has an active membership of 250+ Legionnaires, plus the Auxiliary, Sons and Riders. The post is very proud of our service to our local veterans and our community. We have led several initiatives to raise money for Hollidaysburg’s public library, high school football stadium, American Rescue Workers and Company “M” Civil War battle flag restoration, to name a few. With this year being the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, we decided to raise the bar on our next project ... to repair the Blair County courthouse clocktower.
As a point of record, Hollidaysburg serves as the seat for Blair County and is the home of the county courthouse. So, this year we took on a monumental mission to spearhead the campaign to restore/repair the clock and bell in the tower. Both have not been in working order for decades. We felt it was high time to restore “Father Time” to the courthouse to celebrate the semiquincentennial.
We received bids to repair the internal clock mechanism and the four clock faces, install an hourly striker on the bell, associated tower repairs, and add lighting to the tower’s exterior and interior. The estimated total cost would be circa $75K. That was no small undertaking by any organization, let alone the local American Legion. We got started in February with our own donation of $2,500 to the Clocktower Fund. Only $72,500 to go between then and the Fourth of July as the date targeted as the rededication ceremony. We selected that date to have the dedication ceremony as part of the USA’s 250th Anniversary Fourth of July celebration here in Hollidaysburg.
As a point of reference, the Blair County Courthouse was built in 1876. The good citizens at that time raised over $100K to build this grand Gothic Revival-style courthouse. One of the main features of the courthouse then, and remains today, is the clocktower. Since its opening the courthouse has served as a historic local landmark and as a symbol of freedom, law and justice. Furthermore, we are proud that the courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As such, we felt it is a great disservice not having the clock and bell in working condition. Therefore, we took on the mission to bring the clock and bell back in keeping with one of The American Legion’s four pillars – Americanism. This pillar is designed to promote patriotism, responsible citizenship and education. It is time to be proud of our American history once again.
We set out by asking local businesses and private citizens to donate funds to repair the clock. We benefited from supporting coverage by the local TV stations and local newspapers. We used a direct mailing approach, sending over 250+ letters signed by me, the post commander, to popular businesses and prominent leaders in the community asking them to consider donating to this worthy cause. We established two levels of sponsorship: one for private citizens/nonprofit organizations, and one for corporate businesses. All sponsors donating above $250 and $1,000 respectively will have their name listed on a bronze plaque that will be attached to the courthouse. We used the catchphrase "Your donation will forever make you part of the courthouse’s history.” We also emphasized it was their opportunity to keep our history alive and well in our hometown now and in the future.
We are pleased to report that not only did we reach our goal of $75,000 ... but we crested $104,000 with donations still coming in as you read this. We had over 130 donors giving various amounts from $25 to $10,000. Any funds raised over the cost to repair the clocktower will be earmarked for future maintenance and repairs.
It truly has been an honor for Post 516 to spearhead this effort to repair the clocktower. I told people to think of it as an American Legion GoFundMe effort. The Altoona Mirror referred to the campaign: “Perfect timing to celebrate 250 years of independence.” Many people said you’ll never make the $75K. Well, we must have touched the hearts and minds of several patriotic members in our community. The sponsors are truly the unsung heroes of this campaign.
On July 4, we held our rededication ceremony with 250+ people attending and another 350+ streaming online. Moreover, the ceremony was covered by two local TV stations and the local newspaper. We held the ceremony on the east side of the courthouse to allow a direct sightline to the tower. We had the Altoona Brass Collective Brass Quintet that played several patriotic numbers, to include the national anthem, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "God Bless America." Senior Judge Jolene Kopriva and Commissioner Dave Kessling, served as our keynote speakers who provided several anecdotes about the courthouse's history as well as what it means to have the clock and bell working again to our community. When the clocktower bell rang out the 10:00 hour, the crowd gave a heartfelt round of applause. It was great to welcome back an iconic symbol of our hometown. This day will go down in local history as “the day the bell struck back.”
In conclusion, we learned that no task is too big for The American Legion. We are very proud of our accomplishment of raising over $104K to maintain the clocktower for the foreseeable future. Our post continues to be at the forefront of service to our community. May this iconic building last for the next 250 years, and may our country live to reach 500 years and beyond. Lastly, time is no longer standing still in Hollidaysburg. We look forward to our next challenge. May God bless America.
For God & Country!!!
Sam Dunkle,
Fort Fetter American Legion Post 516 commander
