Originally written by Carl White.
No doubt you’ve noticed the clocks on Greenwich Avenue. There are two of them: one outside Betteridge Jewelers at 119 Greenwich Avenue, and one across from the old Post Office in front of the Christian Science Reading Room at 333 Greenwich Avenue. (There are also similar clocks in Old Greenwich, in front of the Town Hall and next to the Cos Cob Firehouse.) I found out the original one at 333 Greenwich Avenue was manufactured by the E Howard Clock Company near Boston MA. This company also built the steeple clock for Harkness Memorial Hall at Yale University in New Haven.
According to The Greenwich Mail newspaper, the clock was installed at 333 Greenwich Avenue in 1926. It was originally built for someone else, but it was never picked up. Mr. William D. Hill, who owned the Lester H. Denson Jeweler store, bought it for $500, which was a bargain back then. He used to go out and wind the clock. If he forgot, someone passing by would stop in and remind him. It was rumored that the clock was always within 30 seconds of the correct time. I can envision train passengers checking the clock to make sure they were on time! In the 1930s, the Town passed an ordinance banning advertising; the clock was considered advertising, but disaster was averted when a variance was granted, and the clock remained. The clock is 13 feet high and was painted green to match the trim of the jewelry store. Later it was painted black because the owner thought it looked better. The face is made of marble, and the inside contains a wooden pendulum. By 1978, the clock was still running well and only required an annual cleaning and oiling. People rushing to the train station used to think it was running too fast, and would stop to tell the jeweler, but it was very accurate, and commuters often missed their train!
Denson’s son-in-law, William Dudley Hill, worked at the store and owned it from 1966 to 1978 – at which time he retired. The new owner donated the clock to the town in the 1980s. The jewelry store finally closed, and a Christian Science Reading Room took its place. A volunteer from the Reading Room would wind the clock until the Town took over the winding duties. A mail clerk from Town Hall would come over every Tuesday to wind the clock. A local TV station even came down to film the winding for one of its shows about Fairfield County. At one point, the clock was even electrified to light it up and make it easier to read. It was considered the Town’s unofficial standard of time.
In 1990, the clock began to show signs of wear and tear. Eventually, the clock stopped working altogether, and the hands were stuck at 2:28. They didn’t move for 6- to 8- weeks until it was fixed. The Town’s Superintendent of Buildings and Maintenance, who was now responsible for winding the clock, arranged to have it sent to the E. Howard Company for repair. The repairs cost $2500. When it was returned, it still wasn’t right! The Town then consulted Clockmaster Richard Brown from Sherman CT. Within two minutes, he had it running like a clock! A screw had worked its way loose due to the change in temperature when the mechanism was moved from a warm interior to the outside, where it was near freezing. Retired executive and clock enthusiast William Diefenback helped find rare parts to keep the clock in good repair. Between 1990 and 1995, the clock underwent annual cleaning and was checked for wear and tear.
In Old Greenwich, John Martello, owner of Sam’s Liquor Store and President of the Old Greenwich Merchants Association, spearheaded a campaign to have a similar clock installed in the village. An 11-foot electric clock was installed on Sound Beach Avenue around 2000. It has a backup battery in case of a power outage, and it’s programmed to automatically adjust for Daylight Savings Time. It even plays chimes! The original cost was $15,000.
Then in 2000, the owner of Betteridge Jewelers wanted to have the old clock at 333 Greenwich moved in front of his store at 119 Greenwich Avenue so he could better maintain it. After two years of applying for permits, he decided it would be much easier to install another clock. He contacted the E. Howard Company to see if they had any used clocks, but none were in working order. However, they were able to use the same mold to create a custom clock. The inner workings were made by Rolex, and you can see the logo on the clock face today. The clock is slightly lower than the old clock and cost $12,000.
The retro clocks are considered landmarks in the Town. They add character and remind us of earlier times. I hope they’re around for many years. Even though time moves on, these relics are a constant. For some reason, it’s calming and peaceful to see them. Maybe it’s the familiarity. Whatever the reason, these clocks are a part of Greenwich’s history.
SOURCES
Greenwich: 90 Years in Pictures: The Greenwich Mail, 1968; Greenwich CT
Greenwich Time: Time Warner Communications; Southwestern Connecticut Newspapers
ABOUT
Build your family tree, dive into the history of your historic home, and discover photos and articles of days gone past with the Library’s collection of 5,000 books, 800 Oral History transcripts, yearbooks, historical maps, vertical files, pamphlets, periodicals, and microfilm and microfiche. Plus, access resources like American Ancestors, AncestryLibrary, and more with a Library card. Learn more at greenwichlibrary.org/genealogy.
Get the latest about the Library’s History & Genealogy events and offerings sent to your email: greenwichlibrary.org/enews.
Questions? Contact:
Local History Librarian
(203) 622-7948