Original Clock & Bell Mechanism

Original Clock and Bell Mechanism. From the Historic 1899 Courthouse. This is the original clock and bell mechanism that was installed in the tower of the historic Union County Courthouse soon after the brick and granite structure was built in 1899. According to records of the E. Howard Watch and Clock Company, makers of the tower clock, it was installed in 1900., The two-ton, brass-geared mechanism was configured differently when it was housed in the tower. The clock had four faces and was set high up in the tower, so it could be seen from afar in many directions. The bell hung well below the clock, many feet lower in the tower., The bell rang the hour throughout the day and also served as a public alarm when rung manually by the pull-rope attached to the wooden wheel adjacent to the bell., In the early days, the clockworks were operated by 100-pound weights that had to be raised manually every twenty-four hours. Sometime during the 1950's, the mechanism was electrified to save the human toll of having to raise the heavy weights each day., Because of structural instability, the original courthouse tower was removed in 1960, along with the clock and bell mechanism. The clock was stored in a local barn but the bell sat on the courthouse lawn for fifteen years., In 1975 the Jaycees began restoration of the old clockworks as a bicentennial project. The project was completed in time for the clock and bell to appear in the parade on July 4, 1976. For may years on display in the historic courthouse lobby, the clock and bell mechanism was relocated to this outdoor exhibit structure in August 2003.