TOP ROW - Grandfather Clock

Grandfather Clock, 1814-1849

Donor: Jessie Roberts Orcutt, 1944

"My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,

So it stood ninety years on the floor;

It was taller by half than the old man himself,

Though it weighed not a pennyweight more."

The 1876 popular song My Grandfather’s Clock by Henry C. Work coined the term “grandfather clock.” It is properly called a tall case clock.

Not as it appears!

This was an inexpensive clock when it was new.  Although it appears to be made of fine wood, it is actually made of pine with a fake grain finish.  Its gears are made of wood rather than brass. The use of these materials allowed a middle class family to afford a clock that looked more expensive.

How did it get to Michigan?

Amos and Allison Roberts were among the many New Englanders who came to Michigan in the 1830s and 1840s. They brought this clock from Connecticut to Plainwell by way of the Erie Canal and then overland by wagon. 

A few other clocks

Their granddaughter donated the clock to the Museum in 1944.  Today it is one of twenty-three clocks in the collection. Several are on display. See how many you can find and check at the information desk to see if you are correct.