Clock in place, to be operational soon

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It’s not completely finished, but the Van Wert National Bank clock is back in its familiar spot.

Earlier this week, employees of Smith’s Bell and Clock Service of Camby, Indiana, began the process of reinstalling the clock and its base at its longtime home at the corner of E. Main St. and Washington St. in downtown Van Wert. Thursday, Main St. Van Wert officials, elected officials and others gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the return of the clock, which dates back to the early 20th century.

“We’re super excited and we’re really appreciative of the donors and all of the hard work,” Main Street Van Wert Executive Director Mitch Price said. “We know it’s not 100 percent complete, there’s some components we need to work on but hopefully when we get that done it’ll be here for 100 years and we won’t have to worry about it. It looks great and it’s been a big staple for Van Wert and we can’t wait for people to walk by it, drive by it, take pictures of it or do whatever.”

Price said he hopes the clock will be running within a day or two and he thanked the numerous private donors who contributed and make the restoration project a reality. All told, the end cost will be about $80,000. 

“We got on the horn and started talking to people and said we need ‘x’ amount,” he said. “Van Wert Leadership paid for the base and they raised $6,000 and people were very generous about it. A lot of people have history with the clock and know about the clock – I think everybody knows what this clock represents.”

“It was an easy sell but it was a lot of hard work,” he added. “We just put our hard hats on and got the job done. The stained glass (that reads Van Wert National Bank) will be in it and it’ll be digital – it’ll be internet driven and it’ll look super nice.”

Other enhancements will include LED lighting with color changing capabilities for various holidays and other events.

Van Wert County Commissioner Thad Lichtensteiger, who also serves on the board of the Van Wert County Foundation delivered brief remarks, along with Van Wert County Foundation CEO Seth Baker and OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital President Joy Bischoff.

The clock was disassembled in June of last year, after Van Wert city officials agreed to donate the clock to the Van Wert County Foundation. 

The clock was built by the McClintock-Loomis Company around 1917 and was moved to it’s well known location around 1923. The clock features Seth Thomas clockworks, which were high quality clockworks at that time.