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| City Hall Clock Tower and Baxter Street Clock Today |
The ticking and chiming of a clock is both fascinating and mesmeric to a great many people. When a clock has the special attribute of being a very prominent feature and important landmark, it becomes a highly prized possession to the community. In New Bern we are fortunate to have two such clocks, the City Hall Clock Tower, visible for miles, serves as a symbol of city government and the Baxter Street Clock on Pollock Street.
The Baxter Street, now a public landmark, was built in 1920 by the Seth Thomas Company for the J.O. Baxter family who erected the clock in front of the Baxter Jewelry Store to advertise their business. The four faces were decorated with painted advertisements. In 1973, it was formally recognized as a significant historic asset when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On May 9, 1977, disaster struck and the shock was felt throughout the state.
Excerpts from a letter written on May 10, 1977 by Dabney Coddington, then Curator of Education at Tryon Palace to Janet Seapher, a historian in the state’s Historic Preservation Section, Archives and History, provides a personal account and reaction….
Dear Janet:
I hate reporting things like this. The enclosed Sun Journal article covers it fully. The Baxter Street Clock was first knocked loose from its pedestal by a truck very early in the morning, it appears. In righting the clock the next day, you can see what happened. A comedy of accident and error, but one that has upset a number of people.
Della and Bunny Baxter are, as you may guess, quite stunned by the whole happening. The cast iron casing of the clock remains intact, and the upper parts of the workings were what spilled into the street. They have been collected and kept. A letter from you and A. & H. expressing sympathy and offering any advice on repair, would be most fitting. They were very proud of this landmark and I hope they will restore it, even with new modern workings inside. That block of Pollock Street really looks naked, believe me.
Wish I had better news.
For the next fourteen years, the ornamental paneled base stood as a constant reminder of the tragic accident and attempts to replace the clock by the Baxter family were unsuccessful.
In 1990, I contacted the Verdin firm in Ohio, a company founded in 1842 committed to producing the highest quality cast bronze clocks, bells and towers. They had the original patterns of the clock case and agreed to do the restoration project for $28,000. The Baxter family agreed to give Swiss Bear the clock and remaining parts if we would could raise the funds to restore it. The City agreed to accept ownership and on-going maintenance if Swiss Bear raised all the funds and coordinated the project. We initiated a fundraising campaign, raised $28,000, coordinated the project and the Baxter Street Clock was again ticking away.
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| Dedication Ceremony 1991 |
On April 20, 1991, Swiss Bear transferred clock ownership formally to the City at a dedication ceremony with special guest Patricia Dorsey, NC Secretary of Cultural Resources.
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| Baxter Street Clock on Pollock St. Today |
Like so many of Swiss Bear’s projects, interested citizens rose to the challenge and their contributions gave this historic landmark a new lease on life.
Tell us what you think.
Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director
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