The Bristol water tower is now emblazoned with a snarling bulldog, Liberty County High School’s mascot.
The tower, which was previously unpainted, got a recent update. Now the phrase, Home of the Fighting Bulldogs can be seen from the football, baseball and even beach volleyball fields. Local says it serves as a display of the community’s school spirit.
"We have two middle schools and elementary schools, but we only have one high school in the whole county, so it's a place where community comes together and supports the athletics and the children at the high school," says Grant Conyers.
Conyers, who is the father of a Liberty County High School multi-sport athlete, says the community showing pride in the school sends an important message to local youth.
"Our kids have a lot to be proud of with our facilities," Conyers says. "We go into these other schools and fields that just don't have as much. Even though they may have the means to do it, they don’t have the people to put those resources to work to benefit our kids."
Liberty County Superintendent Kyle Peddie says he’s glad to see the new paint job and the support from the community.
"The Bristol Water Tower it has been there since as long as I’ve been alive. It’s always been, like a lot of rural communities, kind of a trademark of the community," Peddie says. "With all the improvements in that area, I’m glad the city commission was able to secure some funds to give it a facelift—and boy what a facelift they did!"
Liberty County High School's athletes have seen some success in recent years, winning three state championships since 2020 in volleyball and softball. Peddie says the tower allows visitors and residents alike to hear something without a word being spoken.
"When they pass through our county and our town, we want them to be proud of what they see," Peddie says.
The tower project has been completed just in time to put a bit more pep in the step of the high school football team. Their summer practices are scheduled to start soon.
