New Home for Historic Carroll's Clock

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From 1913 to 2008 the Carroll's Fine Jewelry store public clock stood in front of the family business at 4th Avenue and Pike in downtown Seattle. Perhaps the prettiest and most ornate of Seattle's historic street clocks, it has in recent years been relocated twice and had its inner workings and pendulum stolen at Christmas in 2009. The clock was commissioned by jewelry store owner Thomas Carroll and built by Seattle jewler and clockmaker Joseph Mayer. Mr. Carroll would wind the mechanical clock each Monday morning. The family wanted to find a great home for the beautiful clock when it closed the business, and so donated it to the Museum of History and Industry. It was moved to MOHI's Montlake location in 2008. Thieves gutted the mechanical workings at Christmas 2009, leaving the clock faces reading ten minutes to eleven. The repairs and replacement of the mechanism were estimated at $11,000. The clock was insured with a deductible of $2,500. Steampunk, a rather hip organization of Victorian era aficionados, helped raise the restoration funds and then some. Now repaired and keeping good time, the 20 foot high two ton beauty has been installed at the northwest corner of MOHI's brand new digs, the former Naval Reserve Armory building in Lake Union Park. I was very pleased to see it there at last weekend's grand opening. Below is a more detailed photo I took of the marvelous clock in 2007 at it's original home on 4th and Pike. For wonderful and detailed information on all of Seattle's historic clocks, please check out Seattle Clock Walk.