Gorham wants to get its historic town clock ticking again but changing times might effect its future location.
For nearly a century and a half, the historic clock announced the time to villagers from its perch in the tower of the First Parish Congregational Church at the corner of School and Church streets. But Father Time has caught up with the old clock, which has wound down to a stop in recent months.
Last week, the Gorham Town Council unanimously voted to set aside $75,000 for the clock’s repair. But one councilor raised the question about the separation of church and state in regards to spending town money to fix the clock and leaving it in the church. “I think it should be on town property,” said Councilor Matt Robinson.
Giving a history of the clock, Councilor Burleigh Loveitt said the clock was a gift to the town by Toppan Robie in 1868. The clock cost $500 brand new. However, Loveitt added that the town gave money towards building the church’s steeple to accommodate the clock.
The town owns the clock and its hands. But the church owns the clock’s four faces, which are part of the church tower.
Last week, the town council established a reserve account, earmarking money to restore the clock. Robinson also questioned the amount set aside for the repairs. “I would like to know what $75,000 would actually do,” Robinson said.
Because the money the council set aside to fix the clock was pooled from reserve accounts, the repairs wouldn’t effect the tax rate.
Loveitt said the argument of separation of church and state could come at a later date. He heads up a committee, which includes members of the Gorham Historical Society that would return to the council with options concerning the clock.
If the clock were removed from the church tower for repair, one proposal mentioned in the past would encase the works of the clock in glass and place it inside the church where it would be accessible for townspeople to view it.
“There are a lot of options to a clock like this,” said Mike Phinney, council chairman, who didn’t favor letting the clock “rot away.”
Phil Dugas, also a town councilor, is familiar with the clock. For a decade, he climbed wooden stairs inside the tower high above the street to wind the clock. Dugas said he wants to see the clock protected.
At one time, the clock mechanism struck the church bell, which rang hourly. “Some consideration should be given to ringing the bell, perhaps once a day,” Dugas said.
Never electrified, the clock has always been wound by a hand crank. A 250-pound weight travels inside a shaft, powering the clock.
Last winter during an annual steeple stand by a church minister to raise money for the food pantry, the clock mechanism snapped and the weight dropped 10 feet. A huge beam halted the falling weight, but the incident shook the church tower.
Loveitt said that the clock is in its original condition, but it is in poor repair and steps should be taken to preserve the clock. “We have a highly valuable clock,” Loveitt said.
Robie, a church moderator, was a leading citizen in Gorham in the 1800s. He was the father of Frederick Robie, who became a Maine governor.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
