Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse Bell Refurbishment

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A Presentation on the Repair & Restoration of the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse Bell

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Innovation Pointe  – 2nd Floor, Innovation Lab
318 Main Street, Evansville, IN 47708

A familiar sound has returned to Downtown Evansville; the chime of the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse bell.

After remaining silent for approximately six months due to a crack that developed in the bell's 100-pound-plus drop hammer, the historic bell has been repaired and restored. The project was supported by the University of Southern Indiana Center for Applied Research (USI-CAR) and involved both experienced professionals and USI engineering students.

Join the IEEE Evansville–Owensboro Section for an interesting look behind the scenes of this restoration project and the engineering challenges involved in bringing the historic bell back to life.

Photo of Steven Stump, Mason Eickhoff, and Evalynn Voles provided by USI

Featured Presenters

Steven T. Stump, MBA, PMP, cRTTP
Director, Center for Applied Research Outreach & Engagement, University of Southern Indiana

Mason Eickhoff
Laminate Process Engineer, Amcor
Mason worked on both phases of the project and graduated from USI this past spring.

Evalynn Voyles
Manufacturing Engineering Technology, USI
Evalynn worked on Phase 2 of the project and is currently a junior at USI.

What We'll Explore

The presentation will cover:

• A brief history of the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse and its bell
• The Center for Applied Research's involvement with the project since 1985
• Phase 1: Preventative Maintenance (2023–2024)
• Phase 2: Emergency Repair (2025)
• The challenges encountered during the project
• Lessons learned from the repair and restoration process

This will be a great opportunity to learn how engineering, applied research, and hands-on problem-solving came together to preserve an important piece of Evansville's history.

🍕 Join Us!

Pizza and beverages will be provided at no cost to attendees.

If you plan to attend, please make your reservation in advance by completing the registration below so we can plan accordingly.

Parking & Accessibility

• Elevators will be available to take attendees to the second floor.
• Street parking is available, as the City does not monitor street parking after 5:00 PM.
• Free parking is also available at the Deaconess parking garage at 5th and Locust, next to the Children's Museum of Evansville.

We look forward to seeing you there and learning more about the engineering behind the return of one of Downtown Evansville's most familiar sounds!

IEEE Evansville–Owensboro Section
Connecting engineers, students, technology, and our community.

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• Dinner
• A brief history of the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse and its bell
• The Center for Applied Research's involvement with the project since 1985
• Phase 1: Preventative Maintenance (2023–2024)
• Phase 2: Emergency Repair (2025)
• The challenges encountered during the project
• Lessons learned from the repair and restoration process

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