Welcome to Rome's Famous Clock Tower Museum
Keeping Time in Rome, Georgia
High atop Rome's highest hill near the center of the city sits the Clocktower, Rome's historic City Clock. The clock, with its incredible record for accuracy, is more than 100 years old and holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The faithful clock marks Romans' lives with its minutes, marking each hour with a faithful stroke.
The 100-foot tower stands atop grass covered knoll and is visible from almost any spot within the city limits. Built in 1871 as Romes' water tower, the clock was installed a year later. Though some restorations have been made, the massive four-faced timepiece functions effectively even today.
The story of the Clocktower began in the late 1840's around the time when James Noble, Sr. of England moved his family of six sons and several daughters from Reading Pennsylvania to Georgia's Rome. Noble purchased property along the banks of the Etowah River in downtown Rome and built an immense foundry and machine works. Here, he and his sons manufactured steam engines and other articles of iron and steel. When the South seceded from the Union, the Noble Foundry converted a large share of its production to cannons for the Confederacy.
As the war took its toll on Rome, the need for a waterworks system arose. The water tower was planned for the hill, one of Rome's famous seven hills, where the Clocktower now stands. Even with opinion from those who insisted such "terrific water pressure would knock the bottom out of a tin cup," the plan was approved and the water tower was built with a capacity of almost a quarter million gallons. The tank itself was built of heavy steel, 26 feet in diameter and 60 feet deep. The system consisted of a well and pumping plant, located on a lot at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Second Street, with a well of 50 feet deep and 15 to 20 feet in diameter. In later years, the vein of water in the well became so insufficient that a tunnel was dug from the bottom of the well for additional water. A 10 inch pipe was laid from the well, giving the structure its first name as "The Water Tower." As Rome's population grew rapidly, the water supply became inadequate, and in 1893, a reservoir on Jackson Hill, another Roman landmark was built and the old tower placed on standby.
The entire waterworks system was designed by Mr. John W. Noble, and was built by the Noble family. The clock, manufactured by the E. Howard Clock Company of Boston, Mass., was shipped according to the orders of the Noble family, and it arrived in Rome on October 7, 1872. The clockworks were installed upon completion of the water system. The face of the clock is 9 feet in diameter; the length of the minute hand is 4-feet 3-inches long, and the hour hand is 3-feet 6-inches long. The original hands of the clock wee made of California redwood and were used for 58 years before being replaced by the current hands, made of yellow popular. The Meneely Bell Foundry of West Troy, New York constructed the bell in the tower. The date "1872" was molded into the rim, which measures 40 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 inches thick.
A factory representative hired J. Sam Veal, who was only 11 years old, as his helper, and together they installed the clock. During the installation, a 30-foot flagpole was erected on top of the tower. Unfortunately, the representative forgot to attach the flag and offered $5 to anyone who would climb the pole and attach the flag. Sam Veal promptly climbed the flagpole and, until the advent of the airplane, claimed to have risen higher than any other person in Rome.
In May of 1980, Rome honored its beloved clock by dedicating an arboretum of 28 Japanese Cherry Trees atop Clocktower Hill. A tree was planted in honor of each visiting nation of the Clean World International Tour and the clock was made to chime once for each guest.
Throughout the years, several restoration projects have been instituted. In 1986, the Rome Jaycees raised more than $80,000 to repair the brick structure and provide landscaping on the grounds around the tower. The most recent project made the idea of a museum in the Clocktower a reality. Through the fund raising efforts of the Rome Jaycees, the museum was created, and 1995, the museum officially opened. Visitors are now able to climb the 107 steps to the top of the tank for a view of downtown and the distant hills. The inside of the water tank features a life-sized mural of Rome with scenes depicting a variety of local events, including Native American scenes, the rivers, and the Rome-Floyd County Library. The restored original clockworks re housed in the tank's center, and several display cases store artifacts of Roman history.
From virtually anywhere in the city of Rome, the faithful Clocktower can be seen, chiming at each hour. For thousands of Rome's citizens, the City Clocktower has always been there, acting as city watchman, a symbol representing the history of Georgia's Rome.
Monday, January 10, 2005 06:13