April 7, 2018
Gene Galbraith came to Lockhart, Texas in 2006 to restore the clock in the tower of the Caldwell County Courthouse. He stayed and opened a not-for-profit museum of clocks and watches. In the meantime, he has restored other courthouse clocks in the state.
Caldwell County Courthouse Clock Tower
Bob Brewer, a historian and reenactor, was our guide through time and the museum.
Our guide Bob Brewer shows us works from a tower clock.
Timekeeping began in the 1300s with sundials and evolved through the 1500’s and 1600’s.
This clock was designed by Benjamin Franklin, although he never built it. Its one hand tells both hour and minute, as long as the viewer knows which of the three hours to choose.
This was an early time clock. Each employee was assigned a unique number on the outside dial.
P. T. Barnum, the circus entrepreneur, acquired this clock/organ in Germany. Museum curator Gene Galbraith took four years to restore it, including its 72 hand-carved pipes. Air from the bellows causes dancers to twirl near the top of the clock.
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