Huge clock that stood 100 years over North Carolina square being removed, town says

A towering “City Clock” that has kept time in Lenoir, North Carolina, for the past century is being dismantled, after experts discovered it could tumble down.

Lenoir city officials announced the move on Tuesday, Nov. 1, the same day workers began removing the clock’s four faces. Lenoir is about 75 miles northwest of Charlotte, in Caldwell County.

“The current clock tower has deteriorated and become unsafe. Sections of the facade on the clock tower are cracking and pulling away from the brick underneath, and some of the brick structure is weakening as well,” the town said in a news release.

“Staff will bring in a crane Thursday to help remove the clock frame from the tower, and then demolish and remove the clock tower. The tower should be completely removed by Friday, barring any unforeseen problems.”

The vintage frame, clock faces and mechanics will be stored “in a secure location” until a new tower is built, officials said.

It’s possible work will be completed as early as spring.

The iconic clock is estimated at nearly 8 feet tall, 4.5 feet wide and it has stood 20 feet over Lenoir’s Downtown square, officials told McClatchy News.

Removing it was a last resort, after “various contractors said there were too many uncertainties to provide a good estimate” for repairs.

Multiple options are being considered for its future, including different styles of towers and structures, officials said.

“We want something out of the ordinary, something interesting, something that will showcase the creativity of our community and engage the residents,” Main Street Director Kaylynn Horn said in the release.

The clock, created by O.B. McClintock Co., became a familiar sight in town after being installed on the corner of the Bank of Lenoir in the early 1920s, city officials said. It was originally lit from within and has a white and green glow at night.

Lenoir, like many North Carolina towns, saw a lot of downtown growth in the past century, resulting in the bank being torn down. However, locals held the clock in high regard, so the city bought it, built a tower and put it up on the square, officials said.

It quit on occasion, but repairs got it running again.

Such clocks were a popular part of small-town business districts in the early 20th century, and Lenoir officials noted similar clocks had been installed in downtown Morganton and downtown Hendersonville.

This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 8:18 AM with the headline "Huge clock that stood 100 years over North Carolina square being removed, town says."