When the Willard Central School was constructed in 1902, a bell tower with a large brass bell was installed on the front of the roof. The bell was rung fifteen minutes before school began and again at noon, and students vied for the privilege of pulling the bell cord. Its ringing could be heard a mile away, warning dawdling students to hurry. Although the bell tower was remodeled in 1911-12, the bell remained in place for thirty-seven years. In 1939, during a remodeling of the school, the bell was removed from the roof and mounted on a circular rock foundation immediately in front of the school, where it no longer rang but served as a memorial to bygone days. The school was demolished in 1986 to make room for a new one. On the old playground stands a monument constructed of rocks from the Fort Wall, which was built between 1852-55 and surrounded the old town of Willard.