"A community with an unreliable town clock must be regarded with suspicion.  The town clock is the most emphatic public word for a city.  It should be honest in its tale; the information it gives should be beyond suspicion of any doubt.  If it lies, the morals of the city must suffer; for it is the conspicuous example of lying or truth, to the public body.  If it lies only a little, the influence of its example is bad.  A town clock habitually given to lying speaks a bad word for the community which it looks upon.  It bespeaks a low state of morals in those who have charge of its performance."

Source:  The Jeweler's Keystone, September 1905.



American Tower Clocks, 1717 - 2011
Covering all the known makers, major and minor,
all their known installations,
and the known current status of each installation.


Early American makers, based on
Early American Tower Clocks©
by Frederick M. Shelley, 1999.		 Early American Makers
This takes you to a chronological
list of all known makers who actually
made and installed tower clocks.		 ___ Listings of Tower Clock Installations by State:
New listings will be posted as they become available.
To the extent possible, ALL known installations will be
listed, with currently existing clocks separately identified.

State Listings:



How lovely are Thy dwellings fair... fred
[Frederick M. Shelley]
Friend, mentor, expert in all aspects of pre-1870 tower clocks.
The passing bell rang for him on 27 August, 2008.
May he rest in peace.


Editor's Note:  The chronological listing above serves as an index to a group of pages containing lists of known clocks produced by each maker.  Lists for the major makers are also directly linked below.

The known Edward Howard
installations, both domestic and foreign.		 Edward Howard Installations
Only some 1700 (out of more
than 3500) of the Howard installations
are listed, simply because the original
data has been lost.

A listing of Howard Tower Clock Models.
[Ed.Note: two versions of this page were found.
Both are presented here.]		 Howard Tower Clock Models
A tour de force
by Paul Middents
listing and illustrating the
Howard tower clocks.
Howard Tower Clock Models (alternate version)

The known Seth Thomas installations,
both domestic and foreign.		 Seth Thomas Records
This link is to a listing by state, city, and installation location from a catalog.
This listing also includes the A. S. Hotchkiss installations with which Seth Thomas padded its records.


Seth Thomas Installations
This link includes the date and the model of the clock, but leaves out the installation location.

The known George M. Stevens
installations, both domestic and foreign.		 Stevens Installations

The known installations,
both domestic and foreign,
of makers of post, or street
clocks only.		 Street Clock Makers

Some notes on the care and feeding of Tower Clocks, by William R. Kennedy, Clock Care

A transcription of Seth Thomas Clock
Company instructions (1936) for the
installation, adjustment and maintenance
of power wind (much of it applies to
weight-driven clocks as well) tower clocks.		 Clock Assembly Instructions

A discussion of tower clock weights, their handling, safety concerns, cautions, and various aids to the clock custodian.
 Tower Clock weights and wire ropes.

A listing of Paul Revere bells through-
-out the world. Adapted from the work
of Edward and Evelyn Stickney.
 Revere Bell Installations

Return to the main page of the Clockwork Historian.

Compare Donn's original version of this page if it still exists.


Questions? Comments? if you have further information, note an error, or have a question.