Warren County’s 250 PA Bells Across America entry unveiled

More than 40 people got a firsthand look at Warren County’s entry into the 250 PA Bells Across America.

Artist LeeAnn Waterhouse was able to quickly complete the project. She said the bell had been delivered to Erie and she actually had to go retrieve it so that she could get a move on the artwork. Waterhouse spent four 12-hour days preparing the bell, including the need to sand the 75 pound fiberglass bell in order to bring the painting to life.

“The river has been a constant presence in my life, from my family’s camp along its banks during childhood to the home where I raised my own children beside its flow,” said Waterhouse, who has 40 years of experience as an artist.

A reflection of the Allegheny River that runs through Warren, Waterhouse recognized its path from Warren to Pittsburgh, where she spent her studies at Carnegie Mellon University. Describing the river as having a quiet strength among its beautiful creatures that live below, Waterhouse captured that imagery that she painted on the bell. The top surface of the bell is a painting of the Kinzua Dam, with the bell capturing the way the Allegheny River helped shape the county’s industry during its lumber era as well as the tourism created by the region’s natural beauty. Students from the Warren Country Career Center took part in the completion of the bell by sealing it.

Part of the America 250 PA Bells Across PA, the bell was placed as part of the commonwealth’s commemoration of the United States 250th anniversary in 2026.