In travels from another story on Saturday, I literally drove past this next bit of local news. At the entrance to the City of Prescott a stately brick clock tower stands watch over the corner, providing the time on four giant clock faces mounted in round windows about 30 feet from the ground. As I passed by, I noticed a group of about 10 people amid a line of tables filled with parts, cleaning aparatus and tools. The four giant circles had been removed and the team was in some mode of refurbishment, which of course, I had to explore. I found a spokesman, Jerome Voje who gave me some history first, telling me of the origins of the bell which had been a part of the first school build in 1887. That bell and a clock that was mounted on the roof of the school fell in a massive fire that destroyed the original building in 1935.
Thanks to the efforts of the Prescott Historical Society, however, the bell and the clock have been placed in the tower at the edge of town. The team I talked to included many members of the Voje family including brother Bill who used his talents to keep the clock running.
The fundraising included the entire community and the tower was built to house the historic timepiece. First installed in 2007, the time had come to perform some deep cleaning as well as replacement of several worn out parts. I was told that there are some quirks that require constant attention, mainly the clock’s reaction to changing weather.
The Prescott Historical Society provides care for the clock and lovingly attend to it’s mechanical needs as a gift to the community.
