The Belgian Friendship Building is a Virginia Landmark and United States Treasure.
The Belgian Friendship Building, on the campus of Virginia Union University (VUU), is the Belgian Pavilion, of the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The 4 part complex that includes a 161 foot tower was awarded to VUU in 1941 by Belgium.
Bells for Peace, Inc (BFP), was founded in 2004 to honor Dr. John M. Ellison (1889-1979) and his wife, Elizabeth Balfour Ellison (1911-1994). Dr. Ellison, first African American president of VUU, completed the re-construction of the Belgian building on the VUU campus. BFP works to assist VUU in restoring its international structure. BFP’s gifts to VUU have included structural analysis of the tower, a carillon, restoration of bas reliefs and full lighting of its tower by Musco Electric Company. (Musco Electric also lit The Washington Monument.) In 2004, BFP discovered that the building’s original 35 bell carillon is in Hoover Tower, Stanford University. This was new history for the Richmond community.
BFP’s gifts come as VUU celebrates its 150th Anniversary. BFP honors alumni, friends and 161,000 men who were processed by the US War Department’s Selective Services Unit for World War II from within the Building.
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Last Updated: 04/29/2016
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Virginia Union University
Richmond, VA 232200 MI
