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Waterbury Ct's Famous Clock Tower

By
Real Estate Agent with Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 REB.0759001

A few weeks back Terry Chenier posted a blog about the landmark clock in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Throughout North America many towns have similar stories of clocks erected or as a focal point around their older town business districts. This can also be said of Waterbury, Ct, where there 2 similar style clocks in the central business district, but neither of them is more pronounced than the clock atop the current offices of the regional/local newspaper, the Waterbury Republican American. 

Formerly Union Station, an important stop along the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, and the grand train station opened in 1909 and is still considered among the most spectacular buildings anywhere in New England. Complete with gargoyles, the tower houses a clock, the largest in New England. The tower bell was installed in 1916 and can often be better heard on the city's nearby hills than at street level because of the great height of the tower and today's traffic noise.

 

The building was designed by the well-known New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White (the same firm that designed the Great Hall at Ellis Island). Designed in the Renaissance Revival style, the exterior is red and brown brick and the interior boasts the Guastavino tile found in other historic buildings, including Ellis Island. The 245-foot tall tower was added late in the design phase to satisfy the demands of a railroad executive who had visited Sienna, Italy and wanted to copy the Torre del Mangia.

This architectural firm also did the original Penn Station, wings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J.P. Morgan library. It cost $332,000, is 240-feet high, has 318 steps and the clock was made by Seth Thomas Co. from nearby Thomaston, Ct, with dials 16-feet in diameter with 5-foot tall Roman numerals. The eight she-wolf gargoyles are a reminder of the myth of Romulus & Remus. This is because, like Rome, Waterbury is surrounded by 7 distinct hills, with a river flowing though the center valley, the Naugatuck, which is also fed by the Mad River.

 

Back in the early 1990's, the maintenance people of the newspaper meticulously restored the entire mechanism of the clocks. All were disassembled and the old gears and drive trains were rebuilt or replaced. At that same time, the original the drive was converted over to the electronic system that currently drives time.

 

Driving through the highway interchange in Waterbury, CT the clock tower still stands as the focal point of the town's business district, a reminder of day's gone bye.

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Edward (Ed) Silva
Broker Associate

Serving Central Connecticut Sellers and Buyers

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Comments (8)

William James Walton Sr.
WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Briotti Group - Waterbury, CT
Greater Waterbury Real Estate

Hmmm...I know of one clock, on the Green...but where is this other clock you speak of, Ed?

Of course, you can't miss the clock tower at the Republican-American from anywhere within a mile of it...

Feb 12, 2010 02:57 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

William, there's the clock right on the center of the Green, and then there's the clock in front of the old M.A Green jewelers on Bank street, just before the Webster Bank building

Feb 12, 2010 07:15 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Ed, the whole time that I was reading the blog the thought that was going through my mind was whether or not the clock it self was made a couple of towns over in Thomaston, and you answered it.

The Seth Thomas Company was and still is well known for the clocks they made, and it is good to see their work close to home.

Feb 12, 2010 08:06 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

George, unfortunately, a new Seth Thomas Clock comes with the label made in China. The 4 story stone facade building still sits along Main Street, and there is a Seth Thomas show room in an old house right at the edge of the old factory. I have had a wall mount pendulum clock repaired up there, but I would imagine that the original factory would have been impressive to see.

Feb 12, 2010 08:35 AM
Robert Hammerstein
Christie's International Real Estate - Hillsdale, NJ
Bergen County NJ Real Estate

Ed-  Great shots... I always see this clock from 95 on my way to Maine...

Feb 13, 2010 03:44 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Bob, You can't miss it on I-84 as you look to the horizon, but I-95 is a stretch, about 30 miles worth. Thanks for taking the time.

Feb 13, 2010 08:31 AM
Anonymous
Dennis Boulanger

You seem to know a lot about the tower. It is about the only thing waterbury has going for itself. Can you please tel me why it hasn't worked in the last few years. It hasn't chimed or keep time in years. Who is responsible for this. Probably our worthless mayor. Something needs to be done. Thank you

Dec 31, 2019 01:30 PM
#7
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Dennis, the tower belongs to the newspaper so they are responsible for it's functions.   It was restored some years ago by an employee of the paper who had to machine most of the parts to get it working,, which it did.

Time has a way of eroding metal and the clock needs to be completely gutted to restore it's timekeeping functions.

The gearing however is amazing so no one ways to see them removed' The clock never chimed, it was a time keeping tine only.

Dec 31, 2019 01:44 PM