Tower Clocks

From courthouse squares to university campaniles, tower clocks have kept Americans on time for more than 150 years. The story of who built them mirrors advances in industry itself—from hand‑wrought ironworks to precision machine shops, and eventually to electrified and digital systems. Here’s a concise walk‑through you can use on your website.

 

Hand‑Built Beginnings (mid‑1800s)

 

Before mass production, tower clocks were the domain of skilled bench makers and small foundries. Movements were heavy, weight‑driven, and wound by hand. Cast‑iron frames and bronze bearings were the norm; pinwheel or gravity escapements delivered durability more than finesse. These early builders often supplied a single town or region, fabricating one movement at a time to suit a specific belfry.

Notable early names: regional blacksmith‑clockmakers; bespoke foundries partnering with local carpenters and masons for frames, bell beds, and installation.

 

The Machine‑Age Titans (late 1800s–early 1900s)

 

The rise of precision machine shops turned tower clocks into repeatable, catalogued products. Companies offered standardized movements, dial trains, and gear ratios that could be specified by dial diameter and bell weight. This was the golden age of purely mechanical tower clocks in the U.S.

• E. Howard & Co. (Boston) – Known for robust frames, fine gear work, and a huge installed base in public buildings. Howard’s designs became a de facto standard for municipal towers.

• Seth Thomas (Thomaston, CT) – Offered a wide line of tower movements and dial hardware; their catalogs helped normalize sizing conventions and parts.

• Joseph Mayer & Bros. (Seattle, WA) – A major Western maker supplying civic towers, courthouses, and churches up and down the Pacific slope.

These firms shipped complete packages: movement, motion works, hands, dial hardware, regulators, and sometimes bells through partner foundries. Many of these clocks still run today after restoration.

 

Electrification & Synchronized Systems (1900s–mid‑century)

 

Electricity transformed tower timekeeping. Instead of daily hand‑winding, motors kept mainsprings wound or replaced weights entirely. Later, master‑clock systems sent pulses or synchronous power to keep multiple dials in lockstep.

• International Time Recording (later IBM) – Pioneered master‑clock systems that could drive tower dials alongside school and factory clocks.

• Standard Electric Time Co. (Springfield, MA) – A leader in synchronized building‑wide time systems; their masters often controlled tower indicators as one more “secondary” in the network.

Mechanically, builders mixed and matched: rugged legacy movements remained in place while electrified winders or gear‑head motors shouldered the winding chores. Where budgets allowed, complete electric movements replaced mechanical works.

 

Post‑War to Quartz Retrofits (1950s–1990s)

 

As maintenance budgets tightened, many towers traded complex trains for simple, weather‑sealed electric units. In the quartz era, stepper‑motor movements brought accuracy with minimal upkeep, and radio or GPS correction kept dials on time after power interruptions. This period also saw a wave of conversions—weight‑driven regulators were preserved in place or relocated to museums while the dials took their cues from compact electric drives.

What changed: accuracy rose and maintenance fell, but communities began to value historic mechanisms for their craftsmanship, sparking a restoration culture.

 

The Modern Mix: Makers, Restorers & Turn‑Key Specialists (1990s–today)

 

Today’s landscape blends heritage restoration with modern engineering. You’ll find specialists who rebuild 19th‑century movements to museum quality, firms that design new drives for harsh climates, and companies that deliver entire clock towers as a packaged product.

• Electric Time Company (Medfield, MA) – Known for new tower and exterior clocks, dial packages, and modern drive systems, plus restoration and replacement parts.

• The Verdin Company (Cincinnati, OH) – A long‑running American maker/installer associated with tower clocks, bells, and turnkey streetscape clock projects; active in restorations and new builds.

• Chime Master (Lancaster, OH) – Focused on electronic bell control and carillons; also integrates tower clock control and automation.

• Balzer Family Clock Works (TX) – Boutique restorers and builders of custom tower mechanisms and dials with an emphasis on traditional craftsmanship.

 

What Sets U.S. Tower Clocks Apart

 

• Serviceability: Frames and motion works were designed to be accessible—ideal for restoration a century later.

• Standardized parts: Interchangeable dial trains, hands, and gearing made upgrades and repairs practical.

• Community identity: A tower clock is civic architecture as much as machinery; the maker’s nameplate often becomes part of a town’s story.

 

How to Identify a Maker in the Field

 

1. Nameplates & stamps on the frame, fly governor, or motion‑work covers.

2. Dial hardware patterns (hand hubs, spiders, and motion‑work layouts vary by maker).

3. Escapement style (gravity vs. deadbeat vs. pinned) and frame geometry (Howard’s open‑side frames vs. Seth Thomas cast beds).

4. Documentation in courthouse or church archives, and period newspaper clippings announcing installations.

 

Preservation Notes for Owners

 

• Keep what’s historic: Even when adding modern drives, retain historic movements in place where possible.

• Document before change: Photograph and tag all parts; note hand lengths, dial diameter, gear ratios.

• Choose reversible upgrades: Motor kits and controllers that can be removed without cutting historic iron keep future options open.

 

Quick Reference: Notable U.S. Tower Clock Makers

 

• E. Howard & Co. (Boston) – Mechanical tower clocks, late 1800s–early 1900s; many still serviceable.

• Seth Thomas (Thomaston, CT) – Broad catalog of tower movements and dial hardware.

• B. Korfhage (Brooklyn, NY) – Quality mechanical movements; fewer in number but prized by restorers.

• Joseph Mayer & Bros. (Seattle, WA) – Major Western supplier/installer.

• International Time Recording / IBM – Master‑clock systems driving tower dials.

• Standard Electric Time Co. (MA) – Synchronized time systems with tower interfaces.

• Electric Time Company (Medfield, MA) – Modern exterior and tower clocks; restorations and new builds.

• The Verdin Company (Cincinnati, OH) – Tower clocks, bells, streetscape clocks; restorations and turnkey projects.

• Chime Master (OH) – Bell control/carillons with tower clock integration.

• Balzer Family Clock Works (TX) – Custom tower mechanisms and high‑end restorations.