This souvenir leather bookmark was created to celebrate the end of the 20th century and welcome the first year of the 21st century and the third millennium.
The “Historic Bells of Fincastle” is one of Botetourt’s longest standing and most visible traditions on New Year’s Eve. It began over 150 years ago and continues today. Each church in Fincastle rings their bell at 12-second intervals until the Botetourt Courthouse bell is rung at midnight. After the signal of three shotgun blasts, all the bells ring for an additional 10 minutes. The honor of ringing each bell is passed down through families.
When the courthouse burned in 1970, the original courthouse bell was borrowed from the Botetourt County Historical Society’s Museum and used to ring in the new year. Each year arrangements have been made to continue the tradition until 1974 when the “new bell” in the “new belfry” rang.
Gregory and Barbara Miller donated this special souvenir to the Botetourt Museum of History and Culture. The original courthouse bell was moved upstairs to the new museum in 2021 with the help of the Sheriff’s Department.
