Tracking the history of the Millerton clock tower

MILLERTON — Sometimes the greatest Hidden Treasures go unnoticed even though they are in plain sight. That is the case with the symbol of the village of Millerton — the old clock tower atop the Main Street’s Moviehouse, known as Benedict Hall. 

Since its installation in 1903, the clock’s face told the passing moments of each day as its bell tolled the hours — reminding residents of tasks to be done, friends to be met and celebrations to be held. 

Then over the course of the years, the clock’s hands were frozen, it’s distinctive bell silent. But during the past year, the Village Board and some interested citizens took up the task of restoring the treasure. As 2019 arrived, the bell once again rang in the New Year as it did in days of old.

In doing so, it celebrated its own 125th birthday, having spent its first dozen years at the Old Poughkeepsie Courthouse before it was brought to Millerton on the Central New England Railroad.

The clock and bell had many tales to tell as they partnered and kept watch as the crowning glory of the Millerton Grange Hall. Banquets and music filled the building twice a year. Feet kept time and moved to the latest dance moves of the day. 

At other times, roller skates ran across the floor. The young — and those who only remembered being young — aimed to sink baskets in the very hoop that was recently donated to the North East Historical Society. During the years of the Great War, local troops drilled under its watchful eye.  

Cures for what ailed a body were supplied by Myron Puff, village pharmacist, who created and sold a trove of post cards that froze in time images of a Millerton gone by, many of which may be found on the internet. 

The clock tower lent an astounded ear when silent films faded away and talkies supplied voices to replace the musical accompaniment of local pianists whose work had added to the excitement of favorites such as Keystone Cops, America’s Sweetheart Mary Pickford and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks.  

Throughout various tenures, the clock and its distinctive bell brought unity to the community, just as did hundreds of others across the country, many of which had been installed in the late 1800’s as a means of ensuring the synchronization needed to allow the ever-growing web of railroads to set and keep schedules. 

The same held true for village residents, as noted on the accompanying 1905 Puff postcard with the handwritten notation “We set our watches by this clock.” 

Decades later, former Deputy Mayor Steve Waite recalled getting places on time thanks to its help. 

“I remember walking through the village as a kid,” he said. “You couldn’t miss that old clock with its tolling bell. It was so high up… and you just knew it was something important to the community.”

Although the unit, taken on as a responsibility of the village in 1973, was restored, partly electrified and re-dedicated in 2006, it fell silent. About a year ago, with the village redefining itself in many ways, the Treasures of the Tower became a focus for those wanting to maintain a sense of history including Waite and village Trustee Christine Bates. But making that dream come true wasn’t as simple as pressing a reset button. 

In the days of digital time, finding an expert was a chore. After something of an extended search, the solution appeared in the town’s back yard, at the Scoville Memorial Library in neighboring Salisbury, Conn., whose clock and bell were maintained by About Time Restoration’s Sean Kane of Higganum, Conn. 

After about a year of efforts that included the rebuilding of a number of original parts, the four faces of the clock were in sync, but Kane said, the bell still had “pretty much had a mind of its own” and didn’t coordinate with the time. Moviehouse manager Cheryl Hunter faithfully kept track of the bell strikes so Kane could eventually regulate the original weight mechanism which controls the tolling — just in time to usher in the new year.

 Now, Kane said, the clock and bell, with their dozens of moving parts of all sizes are now “talking to each another at the same time” with the happy result that both have re-taken their rightful place as one of the village’s most treasured icons. 

Many thanks to the North East Historical Society, Sarah Ellen Rindsberg, Edith Greenwood, Meg Downey and Moviehouse owners Carol and Robert Sadlon for their contributions to this article. 

 Hidden Treasures is a series by Carol Kneeland that takes a look back at the Harlem Valley in the days of yore. If you have a special remembrance, or know of someone with tales to share, email editor@millertonnews.com.