Original Clock & Bell Mechanism

The original clock and bell mechanism was installed in the tower of the historic Union County Courthouse soon after the brick and granite building was completed in 1899, and records of the E. Howard Watch and Clock Company indicate the tower clock was installed in 1900. The two-ton, brass-geared mechanism was configured differently when housed in the tower, where the clock had four faces set high so it could be seen from many directions, while the bell hung many feet lower. The bell rang the hour throughout the day and also served as a public alarm when rung manually by a pull-rope attached to the wooden wheel beside it. In the early years, the clockworks were powered by 100-pound weights that had to be raised by hand every twenty-four hours, but sometime in the 1950's the mechanism was electrified to spare people from lifting 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, while the bell sat on the courthouse lawn for fifteen years. In 1975 the Jaycees began restoring the old clockworks as a bicentennial project, and the work was finished in time for the clock and bell to appear in the parade on July 4, 1976. After many years on display in the historic courthouse lobby, the clock and bell mechanism was moved to an outdoor exhibit structure in August 2003.

Blairsville, Georgia · United States