Don’t be alarmed if you notice the 2-dial Wellesley Square clock disappearing in coming weeks. It’s getting a facelift and more.
This Wellesley landmark is being completely renovated and hopefully will be back before the holiday season, says the Department of Public Works’ Mike Quinn, who is superintendent of the Park & Highway Division.
The clock will be reworked by Medfield’s Electric Time Co., which has been in operation since the early 1900s and has an electric clock museum at its facility.
Electric Time’s Susan Weisenfeld says the plan is to strip down the clock, sandblast it, paint and replace or upgrade parts as needed. “When complete, it will look brand new,” she says.
Electric Time has been Wellesley’s go-to clock company over the years. It made clocks at Wellesley High, Town Hall, Playhouse Square, Needham Bank & more.
Repair time at Clocktower Park, too
Separately, Wellesley’s Park & Tree Division has been busy with the Isaac Sprague Memorial Tower at Elm (or Clocktower) Park in Wellesley Hills.
The iconic clock tower and park are on the National Register of Historic Places, so they need to keep up appearances like so many in town. The tower was built back in 1928 to house a clock and bell given to the town in 1874.
The town has been repairing the staircase leading up to the bell, and working to fix the bell’s chime equipment in hopes of allowing it to ring by year end. Electric Time provided Wellesley with a new bell hammer.
The town also has been fixing up the wood around the top of the bell tower to make it look great. The copper roof is set for renovation by next summer.
We had the pleasure of going up into the clocktower to visit the bell and clock a few years back, and hope to do so again when it’s all spruced up and COVID-19 rules allow.
Meanwhile, Elm Park is also getting a new look itself with an outdoor dining parklet taking shape thanks to grant funding.
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