Tower Clock Visit - Summer 2006 in Groton, Ma.

Artist Paul Matisse explains the workings of the Howard Company Tower Clock build in 1893. It is located in a former Baptist Church in Groton, Ma. constructed in 1841 and this church is now the home and studio of the artist. Photographed in the summer of 2006.
The clock was installed on Nov.18, 1897 and since then the clock weights have been wound up twice a day, by hand. Electricity came to Groton in 1909, but has never been used to wind the clock....

[@MrTeknotronic]

fascinating story. i love hearing the clock chime at night after a heavy snowfall when it's the only sound on the air

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for sharing that "sound picture".

[@TheMartynhalsey]

Fabulous clock and story Paul

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks so much for your comment.

[@palmerjohnson4982]

His demonstration and dialog is perfect!

[@peterhoving9207]

Paul Matisse had it all planned when I came to tape the clock in Groton.

[@KnowYourselfIsOnlyWay]

Love your video and the clock.

[@shootingstarline12]

This clock tour was so awesome!

[@tracygriffith9041]

Thank you for showing that I was wondering about how the clock worked and how the bell chimed

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for your comments.

[@uTube486]

I worked on this very same model clock in Rhode Island in 1979.

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for letting me know.

[@jalilmuhammad8270]

180 years old as of 2021!

[@peterhoving9207]

isn't it amazing.

[@mosfet500]

Peter, an update. I built a Harrison grid pendulum for our village E Howard tower clock, it's been running about a year now. It's so accurate that I haven't adjusted the clock in over two months. I did it because I live out of town and the massive changes in temperature from day to day was making the time very erratic. I designed the pendulum using 6061 aluminum and 416 stainless steel.

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for sending an update, it is amazing how temperature affects these clocks.

[@antiquesandclocks.inc.8368]

I would love to live in a place where the Clock Tower

[@woodentrainseriesofficial9511]

Ding ding

[@janitanorris2084]

Wow it's very fascinating

[@SF-hg9lx]

Hey, my five year old son is absolutely enchanted by your video. He watches it multiple times a day. Clocks, bells, pendulums, steeples... He is interested in some nontraditional topics for a boy his age.

[@samuelchristensen322]

I am like your son as well 14 years old

[@woodentrainseriesofficial9511]

I’m obsessed with clocks from 2-I still am.

[@woodentrainseriesofficial9511]

I remember me watching this when I was 2-3 years old. (Edit: this was cool upload more!)

[@jamesmcalarney2991]

Thanks !

[@peterhoving9207]

To your welcome.

[@pwillby]

This is an excellent video of a wonderful clock in beautiful original condition. It is a Howard No. 0 Special Striking Tower Clock purchased from E. Howard Boston in 1897.

[@pwillby]

Correction: This is a Howard No. 1 Special Striking Tower Clock.

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for your comments about the clock video...

[@vlatkaskokic1825]

Paul Middents o

[@carwashslayer4235]

This clock is 126 years old based on the subtraction. 2024-1897 is 126 so its a great clock and honestly they don’t make them like this anymore

[@futurepilot6749]

Nice

[@peterhoving9207]

thanks

[@rondelby2482]

I am an avid bell person. I have some iron big ones as well as farm bells I have a 17 inch Vanduzen&Tift one made of bronze

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for sharing your bell collection with me. Good luck.

[@mosfet500]

Great! I maintain the E Howard tower clock in my small village but I found that the pendulum didn't keep good time. That is the compensation couldn't keep the clock in time with our Catskill winters where temperatures can vary 50 to 60 degrees in a single day. I made a compensating pendulum (Harrison grid) that works very well. It also has quarter hour chime along with the hour strike. (2 second pendulum ~39" long)

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for sharing your clock experiences.....peter

[@Tricyklist]

What a great video!

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for your nice comment

[@roxxma]

Great video! What a nice surprise to see Mr. Matisse, I love his work! His kinetic art can be seen through out the Boston area, notably the Charlestown Bells on the Charles River Dam and the sculptures (that may or may not still be) in Kendall/MIT MBTA station.

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks so much for your comments. It was lovely to spend time in his studio and also shooting in the clock tower.

[@Audiomonkscollective]

wonderful...

[@peterhoving9207]

Thank you for your comment...peter

[@davidbagley3678]

Peter, Very interesting! What's the inscription on the bell, and what's its diameter? Thanks in advance...

[@peterhoving9207]

Hi David, I have no idea what the inscription is on the bell, and also no idea what the diameter is. To find out I would have to visit the Bell Tower again in Groton, Massachusetts.

[@kimlehman8727]

Good 👍 one ☝️ Kim enjoy ☺️ 😅❤😂🎉

[@erasmorodriguez2]

Cool bells

[@JBlake-moon-shdo]

Hi Peter I know it's been awhile since you posted the visit to the clock tower video, however I am hoping you still have some memory of its specs. I am and have been working to renovate a identical clock in new england. I know you said the clock 2as wound twice a week, would you by any chance know the distance the wieghts traveled, and what was the wieght for the clock, and what it is for the bell. Thanks so much.

[@LukeWatson99]

BIG BEN IS SO MORE IMPRESSIVE!

[@BukuiZhao]

Little Lukey I hate Big Ben it’s silenced for no reason

[@priyawadeetonphum7717]

Big Ben

[@agape798]

👍🤳🙏🙋

[@JameeiChowdhury1174]

I’m Spinning the Weights

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for your comment.

[@LCMNUNES1962]

FANTÁSTIC ENGINERING, BRASIL OK.

[@dhritisamanta4382]

Does this clock still working in this old mechanism?

[@carwashslayer4235]

They actually used Pre Decimal Pennies to speed up or slow Down the clock wonder if those would work for this particular clock

[@peterhoving9207]

Thanks for your message. I am sure they would work for this Howard Tower Clock.

[@peterhoving9207]

You just have to use a lot of pennies on the bar of this clock

[@thebestbernese5317]

Baby ben :)

[@gs7422]

Brian Murphy you talking about Big Ben’s Son

[@WilsonTomines]

This is a wrong year It's not summer 2006 it's summer 1987

[@peterhoving9207]

The video was photographed and made in 2006. What do you mean by 1987?

[@downpat27_productions]

Can the bell be physically rung, or only by the clock?

[@peterhoving9207]

No, the bell stays stationary and the "tongue" is the part that moves against the bell and makes it ring....

[@downpat27_productions]

Peter Hoving What I'm asking is if someone can somehow manually ring the bell, or can it only be rung by the clock?

[@peterhoving9207]

You can attach a rope to the clapper and so ring the bell by hand, which is done by many churches, to ring in Sunday morning....

[@peterhoving9207]

I believe you can do both.

[@J19_vlogger74]

it looks like you can push and pull on the yoke and ring it

[@AlphabetLore290]

Clock tower... in A Cemetery?

[@tonyletsplay6785]

Does the bell swing

[@ricardo69420]

no

[@peterhoving9207]

No, the bell is stationary.

[@grantedklass777]

No

[@Gearz-365]

Does the clock mechanism have a pilot/ setting dial? If it doesn't, how would you know that the clock is at the right time?

[@peterhoving9207]

Sorry, I am not familiar with these settings.

[@Gearz-365]

Peter Hoving Okay, that's alright.

[@BukuiZhao]

If time is incorrect just stop the clock until it gets to correct time

[@peterhoving9207]

I'm afraid I don't an answer to your question.

[@peterhoving9207]

I really don't know the answer.

[@yassinefakhfakh1539]

This clock tower has'n t got wensminster chimes

[@SillyRobloxx1x1x1]

Nana no no no no I know me hello

[@Dirk1961]

I think this video isn't perfect. On high noon, you made the clock strike 13 times ;-)

[@peterhoving9207]

You're totally right on this.....It reminds me of the last line in Billy Wilder's film: "Some like it Hot"-- "Nobody's perfect".

[@peterearl6452]

R to call