CHIME AGAIN: Iconic downtown clock being restored
Published 2:52 am Wednesday, September 27, 2017
- Clock repairs have been under way this week. Josh Dutton/Star-News
The historic downtown clock attached to the historic Timmerman Building should begin chiming again by the end of the week.
When the City of Andalusia acquired the historic, also known as the First National Bank Building, in January, Mayor Earl Johnson said research had already begun on the McClintock clock, which he believed was installed in 1934.
Since then, extensive research has determined there are only 17 of the clocks left in the country.
“And only one of them is still on a building,” Johnson said Tuesday.
“We looked all over the country to find a company that worked on these clocks,” he said. “You’ll never guess where we found one.”
Dothan, Ala.
The parts were purchased from Electric Time Co., and installed by City of Andalusia employees, Johnson said.
Many of the McClintock Clocks were built to control access to vaults, Johnson said, with the vaults opening and closing when the clock ticked a certain time.
“That’s what this one did,” he said.
When the repairs are completed – likely by the end of the week – the clock will chime on the quarter hour, half hour, and three-quarters hour. At the top of the hour, it will play a melody and chime the hour.