Rome Clock Tower - Rome, GA

From Wikipedia:
The Clock Tower on top of Neely Hill in Rome, Georgia is one of the oldest landmarks in the city.

The clock tower was built in 1871 under the direction of James Noble, Jr. and his family. It was originally built to hold the 250,000 gallons of water that would serve the city. 10 foot sheets of iron were used to build the frame of the tank, and red bricks surround it. The tank itself stood 63 feet tall and 26 feet wide. Atop the water tank, there is a bell and four clock faces located within a structure that stands 41 feet tall. Both the clock and bell were added in 1872, just one year after the original tower was built. The clocks were made by E. Howard Clock Company. Each face is nine feet in diameter, the hour hand is three feet, six inches long, and the minute hand is four feet, three inches long. The bell within the clock tower is made of genuine bronze and measures 40 inches wide. Engraved on the rim is the date 1872. With the addition of the clocks and bell the clock tower now stands 104 feet tall and can be seen from almost any part of downtown Rome. By the 1890s the tower could no longer support the city's water needs, and ceased to operate as a water tower. After the closing of the tower, it began to fall into a state of mild disrepair, it stayed in that state throughout the 20th Century.

The Rome Jaycees raised over $80,000, in 1986. The money was raised in order to provide landscaping on top of Neely Hill around the clock tower. The historical clock tower is now a museum, which opened in 1995, once again with the help of the Rome Jaycees. The inside of the water tank now displays works of art by local artist Chuck Smultz. Also inside are the 107 steps spiraling around the tower to the top.

Collierville, TN Town Square Clock and Water Tower

M.A. Selbert Jeweler - Frankfort, KY

This vintage storefront and neon sign clock is located in the heart of Frankfort's business district. They appear to still be in business.

Scenes from Thomas Park: Huntingdon, TN

The following text is taken from a sign at the park:
Thomas Park was established in 1906 by the Civic Improvement Club, a women's group whose primary objective was the beautification of their hometown. The Club took on the task of making the area on East Main Street around the train depot more enticing to visitors. The area was named Thomas Park in honor of Major John W. Thomas, Sr., president of the NCStL Railroad, 1884-1906. The concrete arch was erected in 1909 by the NCStL and remains today as a Huntingdon landmark. The train depot, located in the park until 1967, was the point where many young Carroll County soldiers boarded the train for destinations known and unknown in service to our country.



Oral tradition holds that John Philip Sousa's band played in Thomas Park sometime just prior to World War I. The train transporting the band stopped at the Thomas Park depot to take on water for the steam engine. The passengers were required to disembark, at which time the band was persuaded to perform for the waiting passengers.

A later group, the Huntingdon Women's Garden Club, maintained the park and made major improvements in 1985. Improvements included landscaping and walkways funded by the family of Jimmie Lee and Georgia Taylor. The gazebo was funded by the O.B. and Lela Enochs family. In 1993, the Huntingdon Beautification Committee was formed and assisted in seasonal upkeep of the park. In 1995, CSX railroad donated the caboose, which was subsequently refurbished for display. Under the leadership of Mayor Dale R. Kelley, the Town of Huntingdon finally acquired legal title to the Thomas Park property from CSX in 1998. original bricks from the train depot were incorporated into the paved walkway in front of the caboose.



Further renovations to the park by the Town of Huntingdon in the year 2000 were also made possible by local donations. Carroll Bank & Trust, Trustee for The Wright Charitable Trust, contributed funds for the War Memorial monument, fountain and flag poles. The memorial honors all veterans and is inscribed with the names of Carroll County soldiers who died while serving in the wars of our country. Woodmen of the World Lodge #445 donated the first giant American flag to fly at the memorial. Friends and family of Danny and Joyce Carter donated two marble benches and two lampposts. Additional lamppost donations were made in memory of Dorothy Ellis and former Huntingdon Mayor Lee H. Chance.



The successful renovation of Thomas Park is due these generous donations, to the vision and leadership of Mayor Dale R. Kelley and to the dedicated efforts of the Town of Huntingdon employees. We commend their talents and hard work in making Thomas Park a beautiful focal point of out community and historic memorial to our past.

The Remains of the Lawrence County Courthouse Clock Tower

This is what's left of the Lawrence County Courthouse clock tower. This courthouse was built in 1905 and was located in the Lawrenceburg town square. When needed repairs were beyond feasibility to replace, a new courthouse was built in 1974. To see what this courthouse used to look like, there is a mural downtown with a picture of it. Also, except for the color, it looks virtually identical to the clock tower for the 1905 Cumberland County Courthouse in Crossville. The numbers are made out of wood, which I would have never guessed. Also, the light fixture on the left pointing down towards the clock is still there.

Today, as you can see, it's lying in a field in the middle of nowehere. Perhaps it's been here for the nearly four decades since the courthouse was torn down. It's located inside David Crockett State Park. (Actually, it's in a spot that's supposed to be off limits to everyone but park staff.)

The Colgate Clock - Clarksville, IN

For the first time, I am posting something to this blog from Indiana. While I focus on things in Middle Tennessee, I will often include other places not too far away, usually withing a half day's drive. Sometime's it's hard to remember that you can get into Indiana, two states away, in less than three hours.

With a diamater or 40 feet, this is one of the largest clocks in the world, and I first saw it about 10 years ago on a vacation to Louisville, where while the clock is across the rvier from downtown, it is easily viewable. Recently, I had a chance to visit the clock up close.

The building the clock sits atop was built to be a prison in 1847. After a 1919 fire, a new prison needed to be built and Colgate-Palmolive bought the building.



The clock was originally built in 1906 by Colgate engineer Warren Day and was constructed by the Seth Thomas Clock Company. At the time, the clock served a similar function at a colgate plant in Jersey City, NJ but was relocated here in 1924. (Another similar but slightly larger clock was built in it's place in NJ.)

While it still keeps accurate time and the neon still lights up at night, the clock is endangered. Colgate closed the plant in 2008. (Until recently, there was a large neon "Colgate" also on the roof to the left of the clock.) The National Register of Historic Places offered to add the plant to the register and provide funds for restoration, but Colgate hopes to sell the property to another business.