Installing a nearly 110 year old tower clock into an new tower requires consideration of not just the pragmatic but also the historical. It is not just a clock in a tower. The tower where the DeKalb clock was originally, then the tower where it had be stored and the tower where it will run again are three different type spaces. The nature of the tower changes how we perceive the clock.
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| 1902 DeKalb High School |
The story of this clock begins at the site of the 1902 DeKalb High School. During its time atop the school the clock was recognized by the 42" dial and the sound of its bell. Located at the center of the main entry it was the main piece of the iconic elevation of the school. Over time the bell portion of the tower was condemned for what was most likely water damage. We have found evidence on the movement that water was getting into the room where it was stored as well. The base of pendulum is showing a considerable amount of rot and the bolt that holds the weight is showing decay as well. There must have been a water source that would have caused water to run down the pendulum and into that connection. In 1966 the bell was separated from the clock and moved to the front of the high school. A new ritual began, the clock bell became a victory bell and to this day it is rung in recognition of team and individual student success.
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| 1974 Clinton Rosette Middle School |
The clock remained in the 1902 school until the building was removed in 1974. Clinton Rosette Middle school was constructed on the site of the 1902 building. The clock was then stored ironical in the clock tower of the middle school. It would then only live in the memory of the DeKalb community.
In 2008 Scott Williams, who was then science teacher at DHS, brought three photograph slides to the new DeKalb High School design team. The slides were images of the this clock and some of it's parts just after it was put in storage at the middle school. He told us that the school district had held on to this piece of history and did not want to see it get lost and forgotten about.
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2011 clock tower -This picture was
taken from the commons side
looking back toward the main entry. |
The decision was to make it once again the focus of the High School's main entry. The design requires the movement to be lowered from the dial elevation to the main floor level where it can be viewed from all sides. The we will be able to get closer to the clock than ever before. We will see the wheels turn, the weights drop and the fly spin when the bell rings. For the first time the clock will move from an exterior clock tower to an interior clock tower. This decision will help preserve the clock for future generations. The climate controlled tower will minimize wear and corrosion on the parts. The dial and hands will be protected from the suns light, rain, sleet and snow. The original bell will be relocated to the new high school and maintain its use as a victory bell. A smaller bell will be incorporated for the clock to ring.
The relationship between the clock, tower, dial and school infuses the history and culture The incorporation of the clock in the new high school will provide a powerful link between the past of Dekalb with the future of DeKalb.
