KENT, Conn.—When artist Eric Sloane established his museum at 31 Kent Cornwall Road in 1969, he decreed that a bell be installed atop the building.
That bell was never to be removed and was to be rung every July in remembrance of the Declaration of Independence.
The Spirit of ’76 will again be celebrated at the museum Saturday, July 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when visitors are invited to ring in the Fourth of July weekend and to learn about the tradition of bell ringing, which is as old as the country itself.
They can their turn ringing the bell, just as Sloane wished, vigorously pulling on the rope connected to a cupola on the museum’s roof.
They can also visit the museum’s large collection of early American tools and Sloane’s art for free. Museum hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The museum grounds also offer a perfect place to enjoy an afternoon picnic in the Housatonic River Valley.
