THE POUGHKEEPSIE TOWER CLOCK by Michael D. Gordon
In 1858, when Poughkeepsie was surrounded by rolling farmland and the sound of a church bell could be heard for more than a few miles, an important landmark was erected at the southwest corner of Main and Little Washington Streets; the New First Reformed Church was dedicated on September 7th, replacing the old church which was destroyed by fire on January 18, 1857. The new church was a magnificent edifice with a 65 foot tower that contained a four faced clock. Its 6 foot dial, which could be seen from practically anywhere in the city, and the sound of its huge bell quickly became the talk of the entire area. The clock became known as the tower clock and later the town clock. The church became known as "the town clock" church. In October, 1913, the congregation of the First Reformed Church decided to join the congregation of the "Second Reformed Church" and moved in with them on Hooker Avenue. After the last service in the tower clock church on October 12, 1913, the clock was given into the care of the Poughkeepsie Common Council. The Common Council maintained the clock and passed a resolution declaring it the official city clock. The empty church stood until late in 1919 when it was torn down to make way for the construction of the Strand Building. In early 1921, the clock was relocated into the tower of the Strand on the same site at Main and Little Washington Streets. In 1924, the city contracted with Zimmer Brothers to take care of the winding and servicing of the huge clock. This arrangement worked very well and three generations of
ER BROTHERS
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