The University of Georgia has the iconic Arch.

Georgia Tech has its distinct Tech Tower.

Now, Dalton State College is just months away from unveiling what officials hope will be its enduring symbol: a 75-foot bell tower in the heart of the campus.

Representatives with the college and the DSC Foundation held a groundbreaking on Thursday for the $1.2 million bell tower and campus quadrangle project that will serve as a centerpiece for the institution — and a destination for community events. The project, which was funded entirely by donations, is expected to take several months to complete. Construction should begin in the coming weeks.

“The bell tower will create a new image for Dalton State,” DSC president John Schwenn said. “It will change the face of the campus.”

The cylindrical, open air bell tower is the first of the college’s “brick and mortar” projects funded by the Foundation’s recent “Fulfilling the Vision” capital campaign, which raised $21.15 million in donations. The donations came from 638 private and corporate donors, including $250,000 from 93 percent of the college’s faculty, staff and retirees.

The latest project is the jumping off point of an aggressive goal for DSC to become a regional university in the coming years. Programs, faculty and support services will be added. College officials plan to have on-campus dormitories open for the fall semester of 2009. Schwenn believes they will attract students from all over Georgia, the Southeast and the world. Thursday afternoon, a contingent from DSC traveled to Ellijay as city officials unveiled plans to remodel the old library there in preparation of holding college classes starting with the spring semester of 2009.

“The construction (of the bell tower) demonstrates where Dalton State is going,” Schwenn said. “We are on the move and it’s just the first of many months of different types of activities, changes, transformations that are going to be coming over the next few years.”

The bell tower is being built on the hill just steps behind the Westcott Building, between the Pope Student Center and Sequoya Hall. It will be illuminated at night. Drivers on I-75 will be able to see the tower during the day and night. The surrounding grounds will consist of two quadrangles and serve as a meeting place for students.

The tower will have 25 bells, which can be programmed to play electronically. In addition, it will contain a keyboard that will enable the bells to be played manually by a professional carillonneur. The Westminster Chime will strike the time at the top of each hour. The area will also include a 30 foot by 50 foot performing arts stage at the foot of the tower that will face the quadrangle to serve as a place for musical and theatrical performances.

Local architect Gregg Sims designed the bell tower with the intention of having a unique structure. The design team purposely didn’t look at other bell towers.

“We looked at it as an emblem, an icon for the school,” Sims said. “We expect it to play a role of a logo for the school. We think the circular shape lends itself to the unity that a circle brings to the concept. The inspiration was a circular form, a cylinder, because from any view you take of a cylinder it’s the same. You have this wonderful unifying structure in the middle. It’s also in the center of two quads going in both directions.”

The 75-foot height was chosen because of the probable height of future buildings, Sims said. During the design process, the bell tower’s height started at 40 feet.

“Because we’re in a tight, confined space here it’s most logical that we will grow high,” Sims said. “We wanted it to be prominent.”

Sims said items are being collected for a time capsule to be placed at the base of the bell tower and opened for DSC’s 100th anniversary in 2067.