The Furman clock tower

Just five miles north of downtown Greenville is the campus of Furman University, which has been in that location since 1956. Previously it was located in Greenville; I wrote here how the West End sprung up around the university. The liberal arts college is SC’s oldest private university, and the very heart of the Furman campus is the clock tower, which is located on a small peninsula that juts out into 40-acre Swan Lake.

The original bell tower was built in 1854 on the old men’s campus, the bells ringing to signal the start of classes and to celebrate victories for the athletic teams. During the Civil War Furman was closed, but the bell in the "Old Main" tower rang after Confederate victories.

Photo credit: Lisa Sharpe

Once the university moved to its present location a new bell tower was built to the same specifications as the old tower, the sixty bells in the carillon cast in Holland to exactly match the original. To this day the tower's image appears on the school’s seal and official publications.

Photo credit: Lisa Sharpe

A month ago we visited the clock tower to snap some pictures of the boys for father’s day. As I’ve been informed by babycenter.com that the baby is now about the size of a head of romaine lettuce, I'm glad I also took the opportunity to get evidence of the bump, as I feel as if I should be documenting this pregnancy (although it's my third). Yes, I’m sure it’s not twins, no, I’m not “going to pop any day now.”

Photo credit: Lisa Sharpe

* According to the school's mythology, if you kiss your significant other at the tower you are destined to marry them – hence the phrase “bell tower serious.” Guess the tower can chalk up another one to its legend...