The bell and cornerstone of the Alexander County Veterans Memorial Bell Tower were remnants of the Alexander County Courthouse fire of August 11, 1967. Local businessman Rowe B. Campbell repaired the broken bell, and at a later date both the bell and cornerstone were placed on the ground on the east side of the current courthouse. A working group of the Alexander County Sesquicentennial Committee, with project person Benjamin W. Hines, chose to preserve them, and in 1997 an initiative began that led to the dedication of the Alexander County Veterans Memorial Bell Tower on May 10, 2003, honoring Alexander County veterans past and present who served county, state, and country in the name of freedom.