Cumberland County has completed a custom restoration of the historic 1905 courthouse clock to preserve the original character of the downtown landmark.
Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster said the clock is an original component of the building’s construction and had been out of operation for several years. Foster said the county decided to move forward with a complete overhaul to ensure the timepiece was brought back to proper working order.
“It’s a part of the original 1905 construction of this building,” Foster said. “You know, a lot of those clocks are gone. Seen them pictures of them that have been trashed and everything, but we absolutely want to preserve our clock. It’s, like I say, it’s original to the building and we want to see it running again.”
Foster said the project cost between $10,000 and $15,000 to complete. Foster said the restoration required custom-made parts because the original components are no longer manufactured.
“It’s been a mess for a while and like I say it’s been a hard solution to get done,” Foster said. “We had to find a company that could actually do it and get it going again. There’s four faces on the clock, and so it’s a complicated little setup. But we finally got it done and the the feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive to see something like our beautiful old courthouse clock finally running again.”
Foster said the restoration was a collaborative effort involving the local TCAT and the county maintenance department. Foster said the project had to be paused previously while the county addressed structural issues with the building located at Two North Main Street.
“It you know if we don’t keep up with our history, what are we here for?” Foster said. “You know we need to respect our history, we need to respect where we came from.”
Foster said the current courthouse is the third such structure in the county’s history after the first two were lost to fires. Foster said the clock tower serves as a reminder of the craftsmanship and effort put into the building by previous generations.
“I want this place to be restored and and looking good and it’s it’s the people’s house, you know,” Foster said. “The White House is the people of the country’s house and this is the people of Cumberland County’s house. So we need to respect it, we need to respect our tradition and honor those that came before us.”
Foster said the county is now looking into repairing an old bell located in the tower that used to chime on the hour.
“I’m extremely excited to hear that bell ring,” Foster said. “That’s a project that’s going to take a little bit longer to get done but I’m very excited. I remember as a small child when you could be in town and it rang.”
Foster said he will determine how often the bell will ring once the repairs are finished and he can hear the sound.
