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Did you Know?: Tall Clocks of Carroll County

Carroll County residents have been showing off their clocks for centuries.

Of all the Carroll County Historical's Society collections, one of the most varied and extensive is its exhibit of tall clocks.

The clocks were a decorative art object produced by the Pennsylvania Germans, which according to the online exhibition, represented more than five percent of a family's net worth in the late 1700s to the 1800s.

During that time, clockmaking was an expensive trade that required various craftsmen. According to the Historical Society, the name painted on the clock face is usually that of the craftsman who made or assembled the works (moving parts and components).  The case was ordered from a cabinetmaker.  When purchasing a case, customers could select from a wide variety of decorative elements, including woods, moldings, veneers and inlays, depending on how much they wished to spend. 

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Since tall clocks were often the most expensive decoration in a household, they were often put on display in the home's parlor for others to admire. The HSCC currently owns 12.

Eli Bentley (1752--1822) began working as a clockmaker in Chester County, Pa., and moved to Taneytown around 1782, according to the HSCC. He made the clock "works" or moving parts for several of the clocks on display at the HSCC. 

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1. Tall Case Clock, 1785-1810 

Works by Eli Bentley
Taneytown, Md.
Case probably Frederick Co., Md.
Walnut
Gift of Arlene H. Williams, in memory of Mary and David Nusbaum of Taneytown.

2.Tall Case Clock, dated 1815

Works by Eli Bentley
Taneytown, Md.
Case probably Frederick, Md.
Mahogany, mahogany veneer
Gift of Victor Weybright

3. Tall Case Clock, 1810-1820

Works by Eli Bentley
Taneytown, Md.
Mahogany with cherry, tulip poplar
Museum Purchase

4. Tall Case Clock, c.1815

Jacob Wolf
Westminster, Md.
Walnut
Gift of Theodore F. Alban, in memory of his grandparents, Theodore F. "Bud" and Angela Boylan Shaeffer

5. Tall Case Clock, c.1810

Works by John Fessler, Sr.
Frederick, Md.
Cherry with tulip poplar
Bequest of Walter Dana Rudy

Information and photos courtesy of the Historical Society of Carroll County, Md.

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