Restoring clocks can be a time-consuming task, as one of our dedicated volunteers recently found out. An Ansonia clock, dated 1878 has been painstakingly restored to working order and is now proudly sitting on the mantle in the parlour of Netherby Homestead.
The clock had three layers of paint and once removed, revealed a beautifully crafted wood grained case. The glass door is highly decorative with etched palms framing a bird’s nest plant in a hanging pot. The clock has an eight-day movement with an Africa strike.
The Ansonia Clock Company was a manufacturing business founded in Ansonia, Connecticut, USA in 1851 and later moved to New York. They produced hundreds of different clock models. The company closed in 2006.
Netherby Homestead has a number of clocks in its collection, all restored by volunteers; an Enfield mantle clock c.1940, a further two decorative mantle clocks and a Tempus long clock. With weekly winding, the clocks are happily ticking and chiming away.
We invite you to visit Netherby Homestead at Fagan Park; wander through the house, around the gardens and rural museums… you will certainly feel you are stepping back in time.
We are open every Tuesday from 9am till 4pm and the second Sunday of the month from 1pm – 4pm. Follow us on Facebook (Friends of Fagan Park) for updates on events and stories.
By Julie Graham
