Facilities

Historic Bell

Bell Park is located next to the Welcome and Heritage Center in downtown Prescott. The 4 ton bell was donated to the Methodist Church by Griffin Miller, a pioneer Prescott Banker. The bell was cast at the Shane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland in 1878. It was shipped by steamboat to Prescott. A 20 foot high tower of heavy timbers was built north of the church and the bell was hoisted into place. It is said the bell could be heard as far as 10 miles up and down the river valley.

In 1947, the bell tower had grown old and shaky so it was no longer safe to ring the bell. The bell was donated to the church and townspeople by former resident Max A. Elftman.

Welcome & Heritage Center

The bell was installed in Bell Park at the Highway 10 bridge. When the new bridge was built in 1990, the bell was put into storage. In 1998, the bell was once again installed in the area at the end of the Highway 10 Bridge, next to the Miller Bank Building. The building is now known as the Welcome and Heritage Center, and houses the Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Prescott Area Historical Society.