Historic clock restoration brings new faces to Elkader

ELKADER - Restoration of the historic Clayton County Courthouse clock, delivered to Elkader in 1896, is one step closer to completion following a restoration effort that took between 600 and 700 man hours.

The clock, which sits atop the courthouse at 111 High St. NE, is one of about 600 of its kind manufactured by the E. Howard Clock Co. of Boston, Mass. The Model No. 2 clock was the last model built by the company and is regarded as the Cadillac of clocks.

Clock restorer Rory DeMise, of Minneapolis, fully restored the 800-pound, four-sided clock and the mechanism that drives it should last about 100 years, officials said.

The original hubs and counter weights were used from the old clock workings. New clock dials were made using a historic method called smalting. DeMise also made new hands for the faces of the clock and the old black clock numerals - that stood out from chipped white paint on the clock faces - have been replaced with 23 carat gold leafing over that should last 30-40 years before it needs to be touched up.

An original document shows the first hands also were gold leaf.

The new hands were made using a historic template and are on all four dials. They stand out, shining brightly against a new dark background that matches the color of the original clock faces.

Old growth redwood was used in the restoration process and is the oldest wood in the courthouse, officials said. It was salvaged from a bank in Minnesota.

Other portions of the clock tower also have been restored. The balustrades surrounding the walkway of the tower were removed and refinished, with rotted wood replaced. Window sash and all wood trim on the tower base have been stripped of paint, repaired and repainted from the top of the columns to the underside of the window sills. The cracked or modern window glass was replaced with glass salvaged from original windows that were replaced in 1992.

The project has been financed with state and local grants, contributions from Clayton County communities, Clayton County and events sponsored by the Clayton County Historic Preservation Commission. Approximately 800 hours of donated labor by various county residents and preservation commission members also aided the effort.

'This will complete work for this year,” said Ellen Collins, a member of the preservation commission.

All of the remaining work on the clock and bell room portions of the clock tower - including metal and wood shingle roofs, restoring or replacing and repainting the wood trim and weather vane - are to be completed by late summer 2018 at an approximate cost of $200,000.