From the May 5, 1950 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:
The Vineyard Haven town clock, which lives in the tower of the Methodist Church in Vineyard Haven, is a replacement of an antique clock which ran by means of weights. The original Methodist church, a white wooden structure which was built in 1846, caught fire in 1923, and was thoroughly destroyed. Despite the efforts of the townspeople, the fire gutted the church, and charred the foundations of the steeple so badly that it fell through the roof of the main part of the building, carrying with it the clock, which was a total loss.
Although the town clock is a modern replacement, there has been a clock on the same site for more than a hundred years. The tower of the Methodist church is an ideal spot for an official timepiece, as it is nearly at the top of the hill that backs up the harbor, and is clearly visible for quite a wide area.
A mention of the old clock appears in the Vineyard Gazette of Sept. 9, 1847, when a letter was written to the editor imploring that the face of the clock be painted black, as, the writer explained, he couldn’t see the light colored face then in use, from the harbor.
Where the old clock was made, and by whom, is something that nobody seems to remember. There must be an interesting story connected with it, as it was set up at about the time that the New England clock-making industry was undergoing a complete transition. It might have been one of the last of the old handmade clocks, work of the old master, Seth Thomas, who was alive until 1859, or one of the very first of the factory made variety, for just before 1850, two men by the name of Dennison and Howard were experimenting with the possibilities of making clocks by means of automatic machinery in Waltham. This enterprise was the beginning of the Waltham watch factory, which flourished for so many years. The factory, the first of its kind in America, was known as the American Horologe Company.
Later, Messrs. Dennison and Howard parted company, Mr. Howard setting up a separate establishment of his own, known as the Howard Watch and Clock Company. The present clock, which was bought by the town of Tisbury in 1924 to put in the steeple of the new stone church, is a Howard clock. This, perhaps, gives a hint that the earlier one may have been, too, particularly since Waltham is handier to the Vineyard than Thomaston, Connecticut, which was Seth Thomas’ headquarters.
The present clock needs to be wound once a week. This chore is taken care of by Donald MacInnis, Vineyard Haven jeweler, who allowed the Gazette reporter to come and watch his activities this week. They ascended a flight of stairs to the room in the belfry where the bell rope hangs, and from there shinned up a ladder to the platform where the clock is. Above the platform is the place where the bell hangs, and above that are the four clock-faces. The hands operate by a long shaft which extends up from the mechanism to some gears, from which an arm extends to each of the four faces. In this way, all sides of the clock work from the same control.
It was very dark in the belfry and Mr. MacInnis used a flashlight to point out the mechanism. “It’s due to strike any minute,” he said.
Just before the strike, a gadget on the side of the clock that looked like a weather vane began to spin around, a big brass gear disconnected from another with a click, there was a whirring noise, and the clock struck one. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t sound much louder than it does from the street, though the humming of the bell continued for a few moments.
The clock strikes by releasing a hammer which hits against the side of the church bell. The bell itself does not move, so that the clock strike has nothing to do with the noise that announces the church service, for at that time the bell is rung by pulling on the rope. The big striking weight is hung in a shaft which extends from the belfry to the basement of the church.
To wind the clock, Mr. MacInnis shoved a crank into the side of the drum and wound it up like a windlass. It’s a strenuous job, as the crank doesn’t turn easily and it takes around three hundred revolutions of the drum to make the clock run a week. After pushing the crank around a few times, the reporter came to the conclusion that caring for a tower click is no sinecure.
Also, the platform is enclosed but not heated in any way so that Mr. MacInnis freezes in winter and nearly fries in summer. When the weather is too impossible, he winds the clock on the installment plan, just a little every day or so, thus keeping mildly exhausted all the time instead of being in a state of collapse once a week.
The clock, which was put in place in 1924, shortly after the church was rebuilt, has kept time faithfully ever since. It appears to be in excellent health, and considering the good care it receives, will undoubtedly help keep Vineyard Haven punctual for many years to come.
Compiled by Hilary Wallcox
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