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�e NationalWATCH CLOCK

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NORTHAMPTON

Pennsylvania Clocks1750-1850A Special Exhibit of the

National Watch and Clock Museum®

Columbia, PA.

Published by the National Watch and Clock Museum® of theNational Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc.

This project is supported by a grant from thePennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Copyright 2002.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or byany means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc.514 Poplar Street, Columbia, PA 17512

Comparison of the German and EnglishRack-and-Snail Striking Systems

(Courtesy of Edward F. LaFond Jr.)

�

GERMAN

ENGLISH

Rack HookTailessGatheringPallet

Rack

Snail

LiftingPiece

Hour Wheel

Rack Hook

TailedGatheringPallet

Rack Snail

Hour Wheel

LiftingPiece

Pennsylvania Clocks1750-1850A Special Exhibit of the

National Watch and Clock Museum®

A look at makers from 12 different counties in Pennsylvania.

Author and PhotographerJ. Carter Harris, Curator

The National Watch and Clock Museum®

Columbia, PA

3 Pennsylvania Clocks 1750-1850

IntroductionThis exhibit attempts to show the diversity of influences that made the

development of clockmaking in Pennsylvania so unique. In part due to thelegacy of William Penn�s �holy experiment� in religious toleration and eco-nomic opportunity, and because of a liberal naturalization act passed by theBritish Parliament in 1740, Pennsylvania contained the largest non-Englishpopulation of any American colony. Philadelphia, dominated by an EnglishQuaker aristocracy, was the largest and wealthiest city in America, and theprincipal port of entry for tens of thousands of Germans from the Palatine,the upper Rhine, and Switzerland, and of Scotch-Irish from Ulster.

By the mid-eighteenth century German settlers were well established inthe rich farmlands of central Pennsylvania. They clung tenaciously to theirlanguage and traditions and had a profound influence on the originallyEnglish-settled areas such as York, Lancaster, and Reading. The Scotch-Irish,finding the best lands in the east already occupied, settled along the westernfrontier. The result was a blending of English and German traditions, whichis evident in the workmanship of many of the clocks in this exhibit, both inmovements and cases.

While the prevailing fashion in furniture in most areas was for theEnglish-derived styles of Philadelphia, the German-trained cabinetmakersand joiners modified these styles to suit German tastes. Hoods and bases ofclock cases became wider and larger in proportion and construction washeavier.

Most of the clocks produced in Pennsylvania before 1750 were made byEnglish-trained clockmakers, whose ideas continued to dominate in the pre-dominately English and Scotch-Irish settled areas in the eastern and westerncounties until the end of the handcrafting era.

Characteristic of the English style movements is a rack striking systemwith a long-tailed gathering pallet used for locking the strike train. The lift-ing piece is pivoted on the right side of the front plate while the rack hook ispivoted on the left. Variations of this system were used by Swiss-trainedclockmakers in Pennsylvania such as Peter Schütz, with his �J� hook strike,and John Scharf. On wheel trains, cut or slit pinions were used. The leavesof which had to be shaped or �rounded up� by hand filing. Four cast framepillars were used to fasten the plates together. The pillars were normally riv-eted permanently to the back plate and pinned to the front plate to allow dis-assembly of the movement. The pendulum was suspended by a two-footedpendulum cock screwed to the back plate and a suspension spring fixed in ametal block on the end of the pendulum rod.

On 30-hour movements, a spoke ratchet winding mechanism is used,rather than the ratchet wheel and cock used on 8-day movements.

Characteristic of German style movements, exemplified by the works of

AcknowledgementsI am deeply indebted to many for much of the information published in

the descriptions of the clocks in this exhibit. I am particularly grateful to myfriend and colleague Edward F. LaFond, Jr., who has studied, repaired, andcollected Pennsylvania clocks for many years and has generously shared hisknowledge and insights with contemporary authors and students of Americanclockmaking. Many of the ideas and concepts discussed here are more ablyand fully discussed in his excellent article entitled, �Some ReflectionsRegarding Distant Influences on Early Cumberland County Clocks,� appear-ing in Made in Cumberland County, The First Hundred Years, 1750-1850,published by the Cumberland County Historical Society in 1991. This is, inmy opinion, the best short introduction to the study of Pennsylvania clock-making and allied arts.

Much of the information on the group of shelf and spring table clocks isbased on the 1983 special exhibit at the NAWCC Museum entitled, The ShelfClock in Pennsylvania, 1750-1850, with Edward F. LaFond, Jr., as guestcurator. Over 50 rare shelf and bracket clocks were brought together andcarefully documented, photographed, and exhibited for the first time. Theclocks in this exhibit dramatically illustrated the varied responses of tradi-tional clockmakers of different backgrounds to the invasion of the mass-pro-duced Connecticut shelf clocks. Unfortunately, no catalog has been publishedof this important exhibit, though a slide/tape program of it is available toNAWCC chapters.

Mr. John J. Snyder, Jr., of Washington Boro, provided valuable informa-tion on several of the clocks in the exhibit. His essays on Lancaster Countyclock cases in Clockmakers of Lancaster County and Their Clocks by StacyB.C. Wood, Jr., and Stephen E. Kramer III, and on Berks County clock casesin Berks County Tall-Case Clocks, published by the Historical Society ofBerks County, provided much needed guidance where the knowledge of thewriter is admittedly scant.

Biographical information was largely gathered from the works of JamesBiser Whisker, Bruce Ross Foreman, Stacy B.C. Wood, Jr., and Arthur E.James, listed in the bibliography.

J. Carter Harris

This booklet was produced by the Editorial Department of the NAWCC, Inc. Editor�Diana Burnett

Design and layout�Amy L. Klinedinst, Associate EditorTypesetter�Ellie Williams, Intern

Proofreader�Dee Wolfe, Associate Editor


Pennsylvania Clocks 1750-1850Pennsylvania Clocks 1750-18504 Pennsylvania Clocks 1750-1850

George and John Hoff, is a rack-striking system with a tailless gathering pal-let with rack hook locking, and both rack hook and lifting piece pivoted fromthe same side. On the wheel trains, wire or lantern pinions were used. Threesquared steel frame pillars were often used to fasten the plates together, twoat the top and one at the bottom center. Swiss-trained clockmakers some-times used detachable frame pillars, pinned front and back, as on the JacobWinterode clock in this exhibit. Pendulums were suspended by a hook and aloop of string.

While some German and Swiss-trained clockmakers continued to produceclocks in the German style, such as George Hoff of Lancaster and PeterSchütz of York, most of them adopted English ideas to some extent. Thisprocess was facilitated by the availability of English castings and forgingsduring and after the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Clockmaker JohnWood, Jr., of Philadelphia advertised �cast clock-work� for sale as early as1768. The majority of clocks produced by German-trained clockmakers ofcentral Pennsylvania have both German and English characteristics. OneGermanic feature, the rack striking system with tailless gathering pallet, wasadopted by English-trained clockmakers for their 30-hour movements, asseen on the clocks by Jacob Godschalk and Eli Bentley in this exhibit. A few,such as John Eberman and Rudolph Stoner of Lancaster and John Scharf ofSelinsgrove, used the English system with tailed gathering pallet.

Just as the development of clockmaking in Pennsylvania was profoundlychanged by the immigration of Germanic craftsmen and their culture in theeighteenth century a second wave of �immigration� in the 19th century,beginning in the 1820s, soon brought about the demise of the craft there.

This second wave came in the form of thousands of 30-hour woodenwheeled shelf clocks, as well as some brass 8-day ones, brought by Yankeepeddlers from Connecticut. In order to compete with these mass-producedfactory- made clocks, some of the traditional tall clock makers ofPennsylvania, primarily German-trained ones, adopted some of the featuresof these strange foreign clocks and produced shelf clocks of their own, usingtheir handcrafting methods. Though a few, such as the Sollidays and JohnScharf, were moderately successful, the result was inevitable. With theadvent of the cheap 30-hour brass movement shelf clocks by Chauncey andNoble Jerome, the era of handcrafted clocks was over. By the 1840s, mostclockmakers were merely repairers and sellers of Connecticut clocks.

Editor�s note: For your reference, the inside back cover features compari-son diagrams of the German and English rack-and-snail striking systems thatare mentioned in the clock descriptions throughout this booklet.

Introduction

Table of ContentsTall Clocks Philadelphia

Jacob Godschalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 John Sprogell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Solomon Parke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 James Hansell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 John Child (Wall Regulator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Bucks County Benjamin Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Chester County Eli Bentley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Berks County Daniel Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Lancaster County George Hoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 John Hoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Martin Shreiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Jacob Eby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Henry Ober . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30York County Jacob Winterode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Dauphin County Samuel Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Bracket Clocks Philadephia Thomas Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Dauphin County Frederick Heisely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Shelf Clocks

Montgomery County George Solliday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Lehigh County Allentown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Lancaster County Henry Ober . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Dauphin County Frederick Heisely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Snyder County John Scharf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Centre County Thomas Weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Allegheny County Jacob Buerkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Dwarf Tall Clock Montgomery County

Henry O. Bower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54


Tall Clocks�Philadelphia

ring turnings often seen onGodschalk's 30-hour clocks as wellas on those by Augustin Neisserand Adam Brandt. The date "1720"was added at a later date, mostlikely during the Victorian era.

The rather severe looking wal-nut flattop case provides an inter-esting contrast to the slender andgraceful lines of the PhiladelphiaChippendale case of the JohnSprogell clock. It is quite heavilyconstructed with pegged mortiseand tenon joints. Unusual detailsare the half columns applied to thehood door, with correspondinghalves applied to the rear of thehood on the sides. The hood dooris recessed into the hood, with theends of the columns extendingbeyond the door. Decorative touch-es are the shell carving on the archof the waist door and the shielddesign on the base panel.

On loan courtesy of the StateMuseum of Pennsylvania. 4.6.2002

References:B. Forman, Clockmakers ofMontgomery County, 2000.A. Root, �Will the Real JacobGodschalk Please Stand Up?�NAWCC BULLETIN, October 1977.

Above and below. Jacob Godschalk30-hour movement with spoke ratchetwinding, four frame pillars, and rackstriking with tailless gathering pallet andrack hook locking.



The lineage of Jacob Godschalk(d.1781) is uncertain, but he is probablydescended from Jacob Godschalk (ca.1670-1763) who came to America in 1701from the Rhineland in Germany andbecame the second bishop of theMennonite church upon the death of hispredecessor and friend, WilliamRittenhouse, the grandfather of clockmak-er David Rittenhouse. The earliest recordof clockmaker Jacob Godschalk seems tobe his purchase of 82 acres of land inTowamencin, Montgomery County, onNovember 27, 1760. Many of his earlyclocks were signed in Towamencin. OnMarch 6, 1765, he purchased a smallproperty on the north side of Arch Streetin Philadelphia with a two-story buildingwith two small front shops. In 1770, afterthe death of his first wife, he marriedElizabeth Owen, whose younger brother,Griffith Owen, became apprenticed toGodschalk in 1773, and who succeededhim in business upon his death in 1781.

Though of German descent,Godschalk's movements are made primari-ly in the English tradition, with tailedgathering pallet locking on his 8-daymovements and spoke ratchet winding onhis 30-hour movements, as on this exam-ple. The striking mechanism on his 30-hour clocks has the tailless gathering pal-let and rack hook locking common toPennsylvania German 30-hour clocks.

The brass dial has a separate center sec-tion attached by four iron strips whichcarry the dial feet and to which the chap-ter ring is pinned. The center is engravedwith a compass rose design and cup-and-

Jacob Godschalk, Philadelphia30-Hour Tall Clock, ca.1770

To Index


Philadelphia Chippendalestyle, with tall and slenderproportions, fluted quarter columns on thebase and waist, shaped waistdoor and base panel, boldscrolls with carved rosettes,and OG bracket feet.Compared to cases made out-side of Philadelphia, the depthof this case is quite shallow.

On loan courtesy of HenryGerlach and Robert Gerlach.1.5.2002

Reference:C. Harris, The Clock andWatch Maker�s AmericanAdvertiser, 1984.

Right. John Sprogell 8-daymovement with rack strikingand gathering pallet tail, rackpin locking, and Scottish stylearched rack hook.


Little is known about John Sprogellexcept through his newspaper advertise-ments. He first advertised in January 1764that he had lately opened shop on FrontStreet, next door to the corner of MarketStreet, Philadelphia. He states that he had,�worked with general satisfaction for sever-al Maryland Gentlemen,� indicating that hemay have spent some time in Annapolis. InMarch he also advertised that he had,�worked for John Wood the watchmaker tothe complete satisfaction of his cus-tomers�� His ads emphasized the watch-making branch of his business. In 1771 headvertised, �Watches Made in Philadelphia.The Subscriber, having employedJourneymen from London, proposes makingthe best of plain, horizontal, second andstop Watches, that he can insure for three orfour years free from all expense to the pur-chaser, unless cleaning. The Public may beassured, as the character of the Maker lies atstake, that he will make his work perform,and will endeavor to give general satisfac-tion.� It is not presently known if he actual-ly made any watches, but several tall clocksby him have survived.

The 8-day movement of this clock hassome interesting details. The arched rackhook is seen on some Scottish clocks andwas used by Delaware clockmaker DuncanBeard. The surface of the front plate behindthe dial is roughly finished and the layoutcircles can be clearly seen. The �ears� orextensions at the top of the front plate arefor attaching the dial feet, which are oftenfar apart when a moon wheel is used on abrass dial.

The mahogany case exemplifies the



John Sprogell, PhiladelphiaTall Clock, ca.1770

To Index


References:J.B. Whisker, PennsylvaniaClockmakers, 1990.D.F. Magee, �Grandfather�sClocks: Their Making andTheir Makers in LancasterCounty,� Lancaster CountyHistorical Society, 1939.

Right. Solomon Parke 8-daymovement with English typerack striking, gathering pallet tail,and rack pin locking.



Before coming to Philadelphia, SolomonParke worked in Newtown andSouthampton, Bucks County. He is listed inthe Philadelphia directories from 1791through 1822 at various addresses. He islisted under Solomon Parke & Co., 1794-1801, and Solomon Parke & Son, 1806-1808. According to D.F. Magee in his arti-cle, �Grandfathers� Clocks: Their Makingand Their Makers in Lancaster County,�Lancaster County clockmaker WilliamFraser (1801-1877) �learned his trade inPhiladelphia, and worked at it from 1814 to1821 as apprentice and journeyman in thelarge clock manufactory of Solomon Park,who was then the largest manufacturer inPhiladelphia, and employed many workmenof different nationalities, French, Germanand Swiss��

The 8-day movement is in the Englishtradition and was probably made fromEnglish castings and forgings. It has tailedgathering pallet locking on the strike andgrooved winding drums.

The inlaid mahogany Federal style caseprovides a marked contrast to theChippendale case of the John Sprogellclock. The surfaces are flat in comparison,and ornamentation is provided by contrast-ing veneers and geometric patterns of satin-wood inlay, the only carved decorationbeing the reeded scrolls and floral rosettes.

The dial is a fine example of the Bostonstyle, made by the Curtis Manufactory ofBoston and Philadelphia, the principals ofwhich were Samuel Curtis and SpencerNolen.On loan courtesy of the Lancaster CountyHistorical Society. 3.1.2002


Solomon Parke, PhiladelphiaTall Clock, ca.1810

To Index


ments from Harlow, or whether Wainwrightbought the castings and forgings, finished themovements, and then sold them to the trade oran importer. A very similar movement, with allthe Harlow characteristics, but with the stampof �T.E. BAGNALL� on the front plate, wasused in a clock by Isaac D. Custer ofNorristown, Pennsylvania, and is illustrated byBruce Forman.

During the last decade or so of tall clockproduction, it is likely that the practice of buy-ing finished movements became more wide-spread. By examining many Pennsylvania tallclocks of the 1830s, one notices a definite uni-formity of finish and lack of individualityamong clocks by different makers, especiallythose in the English tradition. This is in starkcontrast to the makers of shelf clocks of theperiod, whose movements are highly individu-alistic and locally made, and who are mostly ofGerman or Swiss training.

The dial of this clock is a rare example of aWilliam Jones, Philadelphia, dial with a rock-ing ship. The dial sheet was originally intendedfor a moon dial, but instead of the moon wheel,a dished section of iron has been attached andpainted with a lighthouse and sky, while direct-ly behind the globes and in front of the ship, ametal strip has been attached and painted toform a seascape. The ship is attached to theverge arbor and rocks back and forth with theswing of the pendulum.

The beautifully veneered mahogany case isin the American Empire style, with characteris-tic twist columns on the hood and waist, and awide waist with a small door. The veneers arecarefully matched and banded. The turned feetare consistent with the turning at the top of thewaist columns.On loan courtesy of Stacy B.C.Wood, Jr. FNAWCC. 13.2002References:J. Robey, The Longcase Clock Reference Book, 2001.B. Forman, Clockmakers of Montgomery County, 2000.


Above and below. JamesHansel 8-day Englishmovement, probably byHarlow of Ashburne,Derbyshire, England,stamped WAINWRIGHTNO. 1 on the front plate.



James Hansell, PhiladelphiaTall Clock, ca.1830

James Hansell (1791-1865) appears inPhiladelphia directories from 1816-1850 atvarious addresses. In 1817 he marriedAnna Catherine Ehrenzeller (1797-1886) ofPhiladelphia.

The movement of this clock is ofEnglish origin. Hansell evidently purchasedit as a finished movement and fitted thedial and rocking ship, which were locallymade. The patterns of the castings andforgings and the layout of the movementclosely follow the designs published in1813 in The Clock Makers Guide toPractical Clock Work by Samuel Harlow,clockmaker and clock brass founder ofAshbourne, Derbyshire, England, and ismost likely a product of the Harlow firm.One of the most easily identifiable charac-teristics is the rack hook with a C-shapedloop at the left-hand end with a doublehook. These movements and their charac-teristics are fully discussed in a recentexcellent work, The Longcase ClockReference Book by John Robey.

At the bottom of the front plate isstamped �WAINWRIGHT NO 1.� Thisstamp has been observed on two LancasterCounty Pennsylvania clocks, both withstandard seconds, one signed on the dial byMartin Schreiner, Jr., and one by GeorgeEberman. Another clock by George Eby ofManheim, with seconds from the center, isstamped �WAINWRIGHT NO 3.� Twoother Lancaster County clocks, one byAnthony Wayne Carpenter of New Hollandand one by Joseph Eberman of Lancaster,both with standard seconds, are stamped�WAINWRIGHT� but with no number. Itis not certain whether Wainwright was awholesaler who bought finished move-

To Index


Wall Regulator�Philadelphia

John Child 8-day time-only movement with recoil escapement.

Wall Regulator�Philadelphia

John Child (1789-1876) appears inthe Philadelphia directories from 1813through 1847 as a clock and watch-maker. The movement of this clock isa simple 8-day timepiece (no strikingwork) with a recoil escapement, andis very finely finished. The plates ofthe movement are stamped J. CHILD,PHILA.

The case is heavily constructed ofcherry and mahogany with mahoganyveneer. The waist door may haveoriginally had a mahogany veneeredpanel similar to that on the base.

Clocks of this type were designedfor public places rather than fordomestic use. They are closely relatedto the English tavern clock.

Donated by Peter Tucci. 1998.10


John Child, PhiladelphiaWall Regulator, ca.1820

To Index


Tall Clocks�Chester County

clock and watchmaker, and in1797 as a clockmaker and oper-ator of a grist and sawmill.After his death, an inventory ofhis estate was taken with clock-maker Benjamin Garrett ofGoshen as one of the apprais-ers. Relating to Thomas�sclockmaking activities were�Ten clocks and three cases -$276, Clock shop tools andJoiner shop tools - $140.�

Characteristic of Thomas�scases are the high scroll board,the keystone at the top of thearch molding over the hooddoor, the shell carving betweenthe scrolls at the top of thewaist door, and the scalloped moldings at the top and bottomof the waist. The freestandingpillars at the front of the hoodare actually attached to thedoor.

On loan courtesy of the StateMuseum of Pennsylvania.5.6.2002

References:B. Forman, Clockmakers ofMontgomery County, 2000.A. James, Chester CountyClocks, 1976.

Right. Benjamin Morris 8-daymovement with rack striking,gathering pallet tail, and rack pinlocking.

Tall Clocks�Chester County


Little is written about Benjamin Morris(1748-1833). Apparently he was a descen-dant of English Quakers. He was a farmeras well as a clockmaker in Hilltown andowned 150 acres of land. Two of his sonswere clockmakers, Enos and Mason. Hewas buried in the Hilltown BaptistCemetery.

The 8-day movement of this clock ismade in the English tradition, with gather-ing pallet locking on the strike andgrooved winding drums. Characteristic ofMorris's clocks is the oval brass plateattached to the front of the dial engravedwith his initials, �B.M.� The dial wasmade by Wilson of Birmingham. It is like-ly that this clock was not originallyhoused in this case.

The walnut case is attributed to IsaacThomas (1721-1802) of Willistown,Chester County. Though many clocks existsigned, �Isaac Thomas, Willistown,� heprobably did not make clocks but ratherbought movements and had his nameengraved on the dials. A few have beenfound with the name Thomas Wagstaff, ofLondon, engraved on the back of thechapter rings. Several of Thomas�s caseshave been reported by clockmaker EricChandlee Wilson of Chester County hous-ing movements and dials signed bySolomon Parke of Philadelphia.

Thomas first appears in the tax recordsof Willistown Township in 1764 as a�Joyner� and the owner of a sawmill. In1768 he was listed as a �Joyner &Clockmaker.� In 1776 he appears as a

Movement by Benjamin Morris, Hillton,Bucks County. Case attributed to Isaac Thomas,Willistown, Chester CountyTall Clock, ca.1795

To Index


Reference:A. James, Chester CountyClocks, 1976.

Right. Eli Bentley 30-hourmovement with spoke ratchetwinding, rack strike with taillessgathering pallet, rack hook lock-ing, and unfinished front plate.

Tall Clocks�Chester CountyTall Clocks�Chester County


Eli Bentley, West Whiteland Township,Chester CountyTall Clock, ca.1774-1778

Eli Bentley (b.1752) was born in WestMarlborough Township and was ofEnglish descent. He and his brotherCaleb both became clockmakers. It is notknown where they learned their trade, butthey were apparently trained in theEnglish tradition. Their first cousin,Thomas Shields of Philadelphia, was asilversmith and clockmaker. Eli mayhave only worked in West WhitelandTownship for a few years, after which, in1778, he left the county and settled inTaneytown, Maryland, where he contin-ued to make clocks. Caleb is said to haveworked in York, Pennsylvania, and thenLeesburg, Virginia.

The 30-hour movement of this clockshows primarily English training, withspoke-ratchet winding, cut pinions, andfour frame pillars. It has the rack strikingsystem with tailless gathering pallet andrack hook locking seen in Pennsylvania-German style 30-hour movements. Thissame combination of English andGerman features is also found on the 30-hour movement of the Jacob Godschalkclock in this exhibit.

The walnut case is well proportionedbut quite deep. The arch of the waist dooris matched by the arched sidelights onthe hood. Fluted quarter columns wereused on the waist and the base. The basepanel is removable. The rosettes at theends of the scrolls are replacements. Thiswas quite an expensive case for a 30-hour clock.On loan courtesy of the State Museum ofPennsylvania. 2.6.2002

To Index


Tall Clocks�Berks County

Day Clock & Case, 50.00; 1 Eight Day Clockand Case, 35.00; 1 Musical Timepiece 25.00;1 Piano & Organ, 60.00; 1 Organ and imagesalong also Chair, 100.00; 1 Clarinet, Flute,and Basone and Hoboy and French horn,10.00; 1 Gold Watch, 15.00; 1 Silver MusicalSnuff Box, 6.00; 3 Musical Canes, 10.00.�

This early 30-hour movement clearlyshows German training. It is rather small withthree brass frame pillars, the top two of whichare extended to support the dial. The dial hasa single dial foot, which is pinned in a hole atthe bottom of the front plate. Rose used wirepinions except for the escape and fly pinions,which are cut pinions. The German-stylestrike system was used, with tailless gatheringpallet and rack hook locking. Winding is byratchet wheel and click, with a single weight andendless chain. A flat steel hammer spring ispinned through a slot in the back plate. This flat,mortised hammar spring is also found on clocksbythe Solliday family, and may provide a clue asto Rose�s training.

The brass dial has a separate center sectionattached by iron strips, which is engraved witha compass rose pattern quite different from thesomewhat more standardized pattern common-ly seen on dials by clockmakers of theSchuylkill River Valley, such as JacobGodshalk, Adam Brandt, and AugustineNeisser. The spandrels are an English �stringof pearls� pattern.

The slender, well-proportioned walnut caseis in the American Queen Anne tradition. Themitered corner joints in the upper waist sectionand the arches of the waist door and hoodrelate this case to other early Reading cases,one of which is owned by the HistoricalSociety of Berks County, housing a clock byValentine Urletig. On loan courtesy of ChrisH. Bailey. 8.2002Reference: Historial Society of Berks County. Berks County Tall-Case Clocks,1995.

Above and below. DanielRose 30-hour movementwith both wire and cut pin-ions, three frame pillars,click and ratchet wheelwinding, and rack strike withtailless gathering pallet andrack hook locking.

Tall Clocks�Berks County


Daniel Rose (1749-1827) was the son ofReading weaver and tavern keeper Erhard Rose,who was married to Maria Eva Solliday, sister ofBucks County clockmaker Frederick Solliday(c.1717-1804) who may have trained Rose.There may be a connection with Reading clock-maker Valentine Urletig (c.1724-1783), whoseestate was appraised by Rose. He appears as aclockmaker in the Reading tax list in 1773, thefirst year records were kept. During theAmerican Revolution he served on theCommittee of Safety in Reading and in the localmilitia as a lieutenant. As a musician, he gavethree months service teaching the drummers andfifers of the Berks County militia. He played thepiano, violin, organ, flute, and clarinet. He alsosold musical instruments. He ran his own muse-um in his house. In August 1812, he advertised,�Having just now added to my Museum a veryinteresting piece of Mechanism, called TheInvisible Lady, I invite the Ladies andGentlemen to convince themselves of this inter-esting artificial work�� He was apparently a bitof a dandy, with his silk shirts, satins and ruffles,silver shoe and knee buckles, and powdered hair.He even had a famous rose garden with busts ofhimself at the four corners.

He served on the state assembly in Lancasterfor eleven years, between 1799 and 1812.During those years he was associated with sev-eral Reading clockmakers who maintained hisshop in his absence, among whom were ThomasWildbahn, Jacob Diehl, Johann Guth, and DanielOyster, who later married Rose�s sisterCatherina.

Upon his death in 1827, his inventory wascalculated to be worth the sizable amount forthose days of $1,493.87. Included were, �SundryClockmaker Tools, $50.00; 1 Iron Lathe andSundries, 2.00; 3 Watches, 9.00; 1 Musical Eight

Daniel Rose, Reading, Berks CountyTall Clock, ca.1770-1780

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Tall Clocks�Lancaster County

English counterparts.The 8-day movement of this clock is

typical of Hoff's early work. It has thickbrass plates with three frame pillars, wirepinions, and solid main wheels that arerecessed on one side to receive the wind-ing ratchets on the winding drums. Thepinwheel on the strike train is also solid.All other train wheels are crossed out withfour spokes. The pendulum is suspendedby an off-center post and bracket. Thewinding drums are smooth with keyholeslots to receive the end of the weightcable. Also characteristic of Hoff's 8-daymovements are the off-center windingarbors, since the time trains of his move-ments were planted to the right of center.

The dial is sheet brass with a pewterchapter ring and pewter spandrels of a pat-tern that occurs frequently on Hoff dialsand may have been made by him. Hoffnormally used painted iron dials on his 30-hour clocks and brass on the more expen-sive 8-day clocks. Note the off-centerwinding holes. This would be in 18th cen-tury terminology a �plain 8-day clock,�having no seconds, calendar, or moon.

The finely proportioned walnut caseepitomizes the Queen Anne style ofLancaster. Distinguishing features are thebold cornice molding on the hood with amolded platform on top and the archedtops of the waist and hood doors and side-lights. The base and waist sections areornamented with plain quarter columns thatnicely match those on the hood.On loancourtesy of the Lancaster County HistoricalSociety. 1.1.2002References:

Wood and Kramer, Clockmakers ofLancaster County, 1977.E.F. LaFond, Jr., �Some Reflections Regarding Distant Influences on EarlyCumberland County Clocks,� 1991.

Above and below. George Hoff8-day movement with wire orlantern pinions, three frame pil-lars, solid main wheels and pinwheel, post and bracket pendu-lum suspension, and rack strikewith tailless gathering pallet andrack hook locking.



George Hoff (1733-1816) was bornJohann Georg Hoff in Westerburg in thestate of Hesse-Cassel, Germany. Helearned the trade of clockmaking fromhis father-in-law, George Schnertzel, inGrunstadt, the Palatinate. Thus, when heand his family arrived in Philadelphia in1765, he was a fully trained clockmakerin the German tradition. His clocks andthose of his sons, Michael (1766-1810),John (1776-1818), and George Jr.(1788-1822), are almost purely Germanin style.

Hoff is first noted in Lancaster in1766, when his son Michael was bap-tized. In 1783, his daughter CatharineJulianna (1763-1839) married clock-maker Frederick Heisely, whose earlymovements strongly resemble Hoff's,and who was probably trained by him.George Hoff's 40-year working careerspanned the Colonial and early Federalperiods, and his clocks and their casesthus underwent an evolution in designand style. He gradually added Englishfeatures to his movements.

Hoff's early clocks strongly resemblethose of Neustadt clockmaker JacobMoellinger, many of which werebrought to America by German immi-grants from about 1720 on.Characteristics of these movements arethe wire or lantern pinions, frames withonly three pillars (two at the top andone at the bottom), and the rack strikingsystem on both the 8-day and 30-hourclocks, with tailless gathering pallet andrack hook locking. These movementswere considerably smaller than their

George Hoff, Lancaster CountyTall Clock, ca.1770

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Pennsylvania Clocks 1750-1850 25


Retained from earlier movementsare the wire pinions and thesmooth winding drums with key-hole slots to attach the weightcable as well as the flat lightning-S-shaped hammer spring screwedto the back of the plate. Alsoretained is the German strike sys-tem, with tailless gathering palletand rack hook locking.

The mahogany case is nicelyaccented with bands of curlymaple around the tops and bottomsof the base and waist as well as onthe cove molding under the hood.The inlaid rosettes and the invertedfan-like inlay of the pediment andthe inlaid stripes on the chamferedcorners of the base and waist arecharacteristic of the Federal period.

The dial is by Osborne ofBirmingham, England, with centerseconds and calendar.

On loan courtesy of the LancasterCounty Historical Society.2.1.2002

References:S. Wood, Jr., �The Hoff Family,�Journal of the Lancaster CountyHistorical Society, Vol. 81, 1977.Wood and Kramer, Clockmakers ofLancaster County, 1977.

Above and below. John Hoff 8-daymovement with ¼-hour chime on fourbells, lantern pinions, rack strike withtailless gathering pallet and rack hooklocking, spoked main wheels, andconventional pendulum cock.


John Hoff (1776-1818), son of JohnGeorge Hoff (1733-1816), was born inLancaster and trained by his father,and his movements closely resemblethose of his father. Though he appar-ently started business for himself in1799, he may have worked as a jour-neyman for his father, as three clockshave been observed with GeorgeHoff's name on the dial but with themovements signed by John Hoff. Theearliest is dated 21 November 1794,and the other two are dated 1797.According to his �Book of NewClocks Made and Sold,� he made 103clocks, including four quarter-hourchiming clocks, one 10-tune musicalclock, and four chamber or springclocks.

This clock appears in Hoff�s orderbook for Nov. 18, 1809: �John Kindigbespoke an eight-day Clock withQuarters on 4 bells. 14 Inch dial for£26 0 0.� �1810 July 7, took the Clockaway this day.� The clock descendedin the family to Howard C. Bare, whogave it to the Lancaster CountyHistorical Society in memory of hisfather �Kendig H. Bare--- Instructorof Watchmaking for over FortyYears.�

The three-train quarter-strikingmovement retains many of the fea-tures of earlier Hoff movements butshows some evolution. The mainwheels are crossed out and no longerrecessed to enclose the winding ratch-et. The pendulum is suspended from amore conventional two-footed bridgeand cock as on English clocks.


John Hoff, Lancaster CountyTall Clock, 1/4 Hour Strike, ca.1810

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Tall Clocks�Lancaster CountySchreiner�technically called a Tellurianand Lunarian, and shows the motions ofthe Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon,with great precision. By turning a smallcrank all the Eclipses that ever occurredsince our Earth and Moon commencedtheir celestial journies can be determinedor for any future given period.�

This clock is one of five known carillonor musical clocks made by Shreiner. Itplays seven tunes on a nest of eleven bells,a different one at every hour, with an auto-matic change mechanism. As in the major-ity of Shreiner's clocks, this example, No.201, has an 8-day movement with secondsand calendar from the center of the dial.The center or sweep second hand was par-ticularly popular in the German-settledareas of Pennsylvania. The trapezoidalcutout at the bottom of the plates is aShreiner trademark. The dial is a magnifi-cent example of the Boston style withraised gesso and gold decoration, attributedto Spencer Nolen and/or Samuel Curtis ofBoston and Philadelphia.

The case is an example of the Federalstyle of Lancaster, made of mahogany andmatched figured mahogany veneers andcrossbanded borders with chamfered cor-ners on the waist and base. The lancet orGothic style side windows on the hood arean unusual feature.Donated by John R. Schmitt and Lillian M.Hause and their families in memoryAlfonso and Elizabeth Schmitt. 91.37

References:S. Wood, Jr., �Martin Shreiner: FromClocks to Fire Engines,� Journal of theLancaster County Historical Society, Vol.96, 1994.R. Cheney, �Roxbury Eight-DayMovements and the English Connection,�Antiques, April 2000.

Above and below. MartinShreiner 8-day, seven-tune caril-lon movement with recoilescapement and seconds fromthe center, and English typerack strike with tailed gatheringpallet and rack pin locking.


Martin Shreiner (1769-1866) was one ofLancaster's most prolific clockmakers, num-bering well over 300 clocks. His grandfather,Hans Adam Schreiner, was born in Germanyin the village of Gommersheim in theRheinland Valley, and came to America in1738. Martin Shreiner learned his trade fromLancaster clockmaker John Eberman, Jr. InJuly 1791 he advertised that he would makeeither German or English style clocks. Whilea few of his clocks have wire or lantern pin-ions in the German fashion, most of hisclocks are of the English style, with cut pin-ions and gathering pallet locking on thestrike train in the English fashion, as on thisexample. It is likely that, given the relativelylarge number of clocks produced, the uni-formly fine finish, even on his early clocks,the use of English style locking of the striketrain, and the patterns of the striking levers,Shreiner used castings and forged work andperhaps finished movements imported fromEnglish suppliers. The front plates of at leastthree of his movements are stamped "Wm.Vale-Lichfield," an English supplier of cast-ings. This was common practice amongLancaster County and other makers of theFederal period, though some, like the Gorgasfamily clockmakers, persisted in more tradi-tional methods of producing clocks, usingtheir own patterns and having their castingwork done locally if not by themselves. In1829 Shreiner was succeeded in business bytwo sons, Martin, Jr., and Philip, while hehimself concentrated on making fire engines.

In 1832, the public was invited to view�the most perfect and beautiful AstronomicalInstrument ever seen on this side of theAtlantic�constructed by Mr. Martin


Martin Shreiner, Lancaster CountyTall Clock, 1/4 Hour Strike, ca.1810-1815

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drawers by cabinetmakerGeorge Dyer, made inManheim in 1808, except thatthis one has a group of 16 starsrepresenting the States of theUnion. Also seen on other casesof this group are the inlays ofdiamond and rope patterns,though the urn with flowers onthe base may be unique to thisexample. The inlaid pinwheelrosettes are another commonfeature. The primary wood ischerry.

From the Estate of Dr. RichardM. Hiestand.

References:Wood and Kramer,Clockmakers of LancasterCounty, 1977.�American Antiques fromIsrael Sack Collection,� Vol.VIII, 1986.

Right. Jacob Eby 8-day move-ment with rack strike, tailedgathering pallet and rack pinlocking, and recoil escapementwith seconds from the center.



Jacob Eby, Manheim, Lancaster CountyTall Clock, ca.1810

Little is known about Jacob Eby,younger brother of clockmaker ChristianEby of Manheim. Tax records list him asworking from 1803 to 1828. He was a pro-lific maker. He and his brother were appar-ently trained by Manheim clockmakerSamuel Stauffer (1757-1825). Stauffer wastrained by York clockmaker Peter Schütz,who came from Switzerland via Germanyto York about 1755. The clocks of Schütz,Stauffer, and the early clocks of the Ebysretain some of these Swiss and Germanfeatures. Most prominent is the detachableframe pillar, which is pinned to the frontand back plates. Many of his clocks havemovements with seconds and calendarfrom the center, even on some 30-hourmovements. He used both dead-beat andrecoil escapements. The movement of thisclock is an eight-day with a recoil escape-ment. It uses an English style strikingmechanism, with rack-pin and gatheringpallet locking. There are semi-circularcutouts at the bottom of the frame platesand smooth winding drums. The hands areof a characteristically delicate pattern oftenused by Eby. The dial bears the label of theCurtis Manufactory in Boston.

The case is one of a group of 20 or soeagle inlaid cases probably produced inManheim, since most of them house clocksby Jacob Eby. They represent the finest ofthe Federal style clock cases of LancasterCounty. The eagle inlays follow at leasttwo distinct patterns, and all differ in somedetails. This one is similar to one on aclock at the Hershey Museum of AmericanLife, and to those on a signed high chest of

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on the plinths beneath thefinials, the turnings on thehood columns, and the thinscrolls terminating in cone-shaped turned rosettes arecharacteristic of the work ofcabinetmaker John Smith ofWest Donegal Township, whoapparently made most of thecases of Ober's clocks. Thiscase exemplifies the lateFederal style of LancasterCounty, with a wide waist witha frieze of dark figured veneerat the top and small turnedfeet.

Donated by Mrs. A. BennetWilson Jr. 86.43

Reference:S. Wood, Jr., Clockmakers andWatchmakers of LancasterCounty, 1995.

Right. Henry Ober 8-day move-ment with rack strike, taillessgathering pallet, and rack hooklocking, and deadbeat escape-ment with seconds from thecenter.


Henry B. Ober Jr. (1804-1880) wasthe son of wagon maker Henry Ober ofWest Donegal Township in LancasterCounty. He is related to two earlier areaclockmakers who could have trainedhim. His sister, Catherine, marriedclockmaker Jacob Gorgas (1795-1874)of Running Pumps, Mount JoyTownship, eldest son of clockmakerJoseph Gorgas (1770-1841) who movedto Running Pumps from Ephrata in1806. Ober's paternal grandmother'sfirst cousin was clockmaker SamuelStauffer (1757-1825) of Manheim. Hefirst appears in the Mount JoyTownship tax records in 1828. A lettersurvives from Ober to Harrisburg mer-chants Ogelsby and Pool ordering setsof castings, forgings, pinions, hands, abell, and a dial for a 24-hour clock,dated 1831. One of his movements has"Wm. Vale/Lichfield" marked on theframe.

The movement of this clock is an 8-day with a dead-beat escapement andseconds and date hands from the center.It has the German type strike systemwith tailless gathering pallet and rackhook locking. Semi-circular cutoutsappear at the bottoms of the frameplates.

The dial has been stripped andrepainted in its original style, typical ofdials on Pennsylvania clocks of the1820s and 1830s and attributed toWilliam Jones of Philadelphia.

The case is primarily cherry withcurly maple trim and matchedmahogany veneers. The crosshatching


Henry Ober, Elizabethtown, Lancaster CountyTall Clock, ca.1830

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Tall Clocks�York County

back as well. Peculiar to thiscase, which is primarily cherry, isthe shark tooth inlay, and quarterfans at the top front sides of thewaist. Another unusual detail isthe reeding of the terminals of thescrolls, which is repeated on thescroll plinth of the center finial.The style of the flame finials andthe lift at the lower ends of thescrolls are typical of the Hanovercases. The case is thoroughlyChippendale in style and is heavi-ly influenced by Philadelphiadesigns of 15 or 20 years earlier,which continued in favor in out-lying areas such as Hanover.

On loan courtesy of the HistoricalSociety of Dauphin County.1.2.2002

References:J.R. McGrew, �Hanover,Pennsylvania, Clockmakers,Watchmakers and Silversmiths,�NAWCC BULLETIN, June 1995.G.R. Weidman, Furniture inMaryland 1740-1940, 1984.Battison and Kane, The AmericanClock, 1973.

Right. Jacob Winterode 8-daymovement with deadbeat escape-ment and seconds from the cen-ter, detachable frame pillars, andrack strike with tailless gatheringpallet and rack hook locking.

Tall Clocks�York County


Jacob Winterode appears as anunmarried clockmaker on the Hanovertax rolls for 1795 only. Nothing else ispresently known about him. The move-ment of this clock has detachable framepillars, which may indicate that he wastrained by Jacob Hostetter, also ofHanover, or perhaps that he learned histrade in York, possibly from PeterSchütz.

The movement is an 8-day with adead-beat escapement and center sec-onds. The detachable frame pillars arepinned to the plates, front and back, andare extended forward to attach the dial.The cast iron false plate is screwed tothe ends of the pillars, and the dial ispinned to the false plate in the usualmanner. The German type striking sys-tem was used, with tailless gatheringpallet and rack hook locking.

According to John J. Snyder, Jr., anoted student of Pennsylvania furniture,the case is one of a group of relatedcases made in Hanover around the timethat Winterode worked there. One ofthese cases is signed by cabinetmakerAdam Ault (1768-1848) and is ownedby the Maryland Historical Society inBaltimore. Another very closely relatedcase is in the Mabel Brady GarvanCollection of Yale University, whichhouses a movement by John Wood ofPhiladelphia. Though made of blackwalnut, the moldings appear to be iden-tical to those of the present example. Anunusual detail common to both cases isthe continuous molding around the topand bottom of the waist and along the

Jacob Winterode, Hanover, York CountyTall Clock, ca.1795

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Tall Clocks�Dauphin County

Right and below. SamuelHill 8-day movement withEnglish striking system,tailed gathering pallet andrack pin locking, and unfin-ished front plate with trainlayout circles.

Tall Clocks�Dauphin County


Samuel Hill, Harrisburg, Dauphin CountyTall Clock, ca.1799

Samuel Hill (1765-1809) was born inEngland and came to Harrisburg about 1785.He apparently learned his trade in England. Hemarried Nancy Beatty from Ireland, whosebrother George Beatty (1781-1862) wasapprenticed to Hill. Many clocks by Hill sur-vive, including at least one musical clock,which has unfortunately lost its musical train.This clock descended in the Kapp family ofNorthumberland. It is said to have been pur-chased in 1799 by Michael Kapp as a gift forhis eldest child. It remained in the family until1951 when it was given to the State Museumof Pennsylvania.

The 8-day movement of this clock is madein the English tradition, as one would expect.The front side of the front plate is unfinished,and the layout circles for the train wheel arevisible.

The dial is by Wilson of Birmingham,England.

The mahogany case is primarily of theFederal style, but the carved floral rosettes andthe fluted quarter columns are elements of theearlier Chippendale style. The string inlay pat-tern on the base is suggestive of the outline ofan applied base panel on a Chippendale casesuch as on the John Sprogell, Philadelphiaclock, c.1770, in this exhibit. The inlays of theeagle and the sitting dog on the waist as wellas inlay on the central plinth were probablypurchased by the cabinetmaker, either from aspecialist or an importer. The flat molding onthe base seems an inappropriate replacement.It is likely that there were feet of some sortoriginally.

On loan courtesy of the State Museum ofPennsylvania. 3.6.2002

Reference:J. Whisker, Pennsylvania Clockmakers, 1990.

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Bracket Clocks�Philadelphia

Right and below. ThomasParker 8-day spring-drivenmovement with going bar-rels, pin wheel escapement,and rack strike with taillessgathering pallet and rackhook locking.

Bracket Clocks�Philadelphia


Thomas Parker (1761-1833)was a descendant of EnglishQuakers who settled inPhiladelphia in 1684. He wastrained by David Ritten-house andJohn Wood in clock and watchmaking. He began business around1783. He advertised in August1786, �A Good assortment of sil-ver warranted watches, severalgood eight-day clocks with andwithout moons; also, japannedclock faces, clock plyers and ham-mers, �� and various other clockand watch tools and supplies. In1793 he advertised for an appren-tice to the watchmaking business,and that he had for sale, �Importedin the last vessels from Europe, �handsome spring clocks, ��Several of the known spring orbracket clocks by Parker are cer-tainly of imported variety.

The present example, however,appears to be of American manufacture. The undecorated backplate of themovement is engraved �Thomas Parker, Phila, Pa.� The movement is fas-tened to a seatboard with two seatboard hooks, as on a tall clock, rather thanbeing fastened to the sides of the case by �L� shaped braces as on Englishbracket clocks. Rectangular cutouts appear at the bottom of the plates. Themovement has a pinwheel escapement, a feature rarely seen on Englishclocks, and the springs are in going barrels with no fusees. The strike mecha-nism is in the Pennsylvania German tradition, with tailless gathering palletand rack hook locking. The rack, rack hook, and lifting piece are all made ofbrass.

The case is cherry and mahogany veneer on cherry, as opposed to thecommon English construction of mahogany veneer on oak.

From the collection of J. Bryson and Mary Louise Moore. 2000.21.69References:J. Whisker, Pennsylvania Clockmakers, 1990.C. Harris, Clock and Watch Maker�s American Advertiser, 1984.

Thomas Parker, PhiladelphiaBracket Clock, ca.1820

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Bracket Clocks�Dauphin County

Right and below. FrederickHeisely 8-day spring-drivenmovement with plain barrelsand fusees, recoil escape-ment, and rack strike with tail-less gathering pallet and rackhook locking.

Bracket Clocks�Dauphin County


Frederick Heisely (see thedescription of the FrederickHeisely shelf clock on page 48)made at least three spring-drivenbracket or table clocks, onewhile he was working inLancaster about 1797, and twowhile working in Harrisburg.

The movement is quite small,the plates measuring only 4 3/8"by 6." As on the other twospring-driven movements byHeisely, fusees are used to com-pensate for the unevenness of theforce of the springs. Unusual"M"-shaped pallets are used onthe recoil escapement. The longpendulum is suspended from thetop of an "A" frame screwed tothe rear of the back plate and iskept in motion by an upside-down pin crutch (pendulum notshown). The very long pinionsappear to have been made from pinion wire. A variant of the German typestrike system is used, with tailless gathering pallet and rack hook locking.The rack hook is pivoted on the left side as on an English clock. It may bethat Heisely used English castings and forgings for some parts of this move-ment.

The dial appears to be the product of William Jones of Philadelphia and isattached to the movement by means of a false plate made for a tall clock.

The case is heavily constructed of cherry and mahogany veneer on cherry.The top is constructed of seven thick cherry boards that were cut out in theshape of a broken arch and glued together, then covered with veneer. Thissame type of construction was used on the case of the Thomas Parker brack-et clock in this exhibit. The doorframe and front surfaces are solid cherry,while the sides are veneered with mahogany.

On loan courtesy of the State Museum of Pennsylvania. 7.6.2002

Frederick Heisely, Harrisburg, Dauphin CountyBracket Clock, ca.1820

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the pendulum rod.The major change was the conver-

sion to key winding. The 30-hour tallclock is normally wound by pullingthe weight up on a chain. Windingdrums have replaced the sprocket pul-ley, and the weight cables run up overpulleys at the top of the case anddown the full length, as in Connecticutshelf clocks. Since the main arborsmust turn during winding, a separatearbor was provided to drive themotion work that also serves as a cen-ter arbor carrying the minute hand. Itis driven by the main wheel.

This was a complicated and expen-sive movement to produce, and sinceit would have taken little more workto make it an 8-day clock that couldbe sold for more money, it seemsrather impractical from an economicstandpoint. Yet most of the survivingshelf clocks have 30-hour movements.

The dial is painted on iron and wasprobably made by William Jones ofPhiladelphia. What �PATENT� on thedial refers to is not clear but it may bethat, since Eli Terry's patent clockssold well, the Sollidays decided to calltheir clocks �patent clocks� too. It ispinned to the movement by three dialfeet. The case is obviously patternedon the Terry model, though themahogany veneered panel was pre-ferred in Montgomery County casesover the painted glass tablet.

On loan courtesy of Rebecca Shaull.1.11.2002

Reference:B. Forman, Clockmakers ofMontgomery County, 2000.

Shelf Clocks�Montgomery County

Above and below. GeorgeSolliday 30-hour shelf clock move-ment with rack strike and taillessgathering pallet and rack hooklocking.


Shelf Clocks�Montgomery County

George Solliday (1797-1871)was the grandson of FrederickSolliday (c.1717-1804) who cameto America from Basel or Geneva,Switzerland, about 1743, and set-tled in Bucks County. Frederickwas a clockmaker and armorer andmay have trained George�s fatherBenjamin (1766-1843). Frederick�ssister, Maria Eva, married ErhardtRose, father of Reading clockmak-er Daniel Rose (1749-1827), whomay have been trained byFrederick. George moved toMontgomeryville in 1826. TheSollidays were probably the mostnumerous of American clockmak-ing families. They produced severalhundred tall clocks and a few shelfclocks.

This example by George haswhat is basically an extensivelymodified version of a 30-hour tallclock movement. The strike train hasbeen placed on the left side, unusu-al on Pennsylvania 30-hour move-ments but common on Connecticutmovements. To decrease the weighttravel in such a short case, twice the number of hammer lift pins on the mainwheel and a double gathering pallet are used, thus reducing the number ofrevolutions required of the main wheel. The time train has been similarlymodified with a large 60-tooth escape wheel and small winding drums. Todecrease the depth of the movement, the pendulum is hung from the front ofthe movement on a split pin mounted on the bottom foot of the hour wheelbridge. The escapement is between the plates, with the pallets underneath theescape wheel. The front end of the verge arbor is pivoted in the hour wheelbridge, and the crutch wire comes out from behind the bridge and down to

George Solliday, Montgomeryville,Montgomery County30-Hour Pillar and Scroll Shelf Clock, ca.1830

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clocks from Norristown inMontgomery County. The primarywood is cherry with mahoganyveneer on the pine doorframe. It hasa removable white pine backboard.Pulleys are fixed in the top board tosuspend the weights.

This Allentown pillar and scrollhas an iron dial, and the tablet in thelower door is painted on iron behindglass, as opposed to the wooden dialand reverse painted glass tablet ofthe Connecticut version. They aredistinctly European in style.

Donated by James W. Gibbs. 8.2,8.5

Shelf Clocks�Lehigh County

Above and right. “Allentown” Pillarand Scroll 30-hour “Allentown”Black Forest shelf clock movementwith lantern pinions, steel arbors,cast brass wheels, and woodenframe.


Shelf Clocks�Lehigh County

This clock is one of a groupbelieved to have been made in theAllentown area from circa 1828to circa 1835. They were notmade in one shop, as was thegeneral custom with handmadeclocks in Pennsylvania, but wereproduced by a German BlackForest type of cottage industry,with each craftsman being a spe-cialist, such as a frame maker, awheel maker, or a case maker. Itis likely that the movements,dials, tablets, and hands wereimported from Germany andcased here, and sold by a mastercraftsman or merchant, possiblyJoseph Hilsinger.

Though some of the earlymovements of these clocks werepatterned after the Terry-style 30-hour wooden shelf clock move-ment with similar train layout andsolid wood or skeletonized brassplates, the typical movement, asin this example, is a modifiedBlack Forest hang-up or tall clockmovement. It has a beech wood frame with vertical strips dovetailed to topand bottom boards. �SW� is stamped on the front edge of the bottom board,probably the initials of the frame maker. The center strips that carry thewheels are brass bushed, the two front strips being removable. Unlike thehang-up movement, the count wheel is on the front of the movement and thependulum is suspended from the front. The escapement is between the plates.The wheelwork is typical Black Forest, with cast brass wheels and steelarbors with lantern pinions.

The case is a Pennsylvania-German version of the Terry-style pillar andscroll. While some versions more closely resemble their Connecticut proto-types, this case has heavy scrolls and untypical columns with long, squaredbases, which resemble those seen on cases of Jacob Custer pillar and scroll

Allentown, Lehigh County30-Hour Pillar and Scroll Shelf Clock, ca.1830

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Shelf Clocks�Lancaster County

Above and left. HenryOber 8-day shelf clockmovement with rack strik-ing, tailless gathering pal-let, rack hook locking, andthree frame pillars.


Shelf Clocks�Lancaster County

Henry Ober made at least threeweight-driven shelf clocks and at leastone dwarf or miniature tall clock. Themovement of this example is a minia-turized 8-day tall clock movement,with brass plates and three turned steelframe pillars. It has a recoil escape-ment located between the plates, butthe pendulum is suspended from a single-footed cockmounted on the front of the movement,with a circular brass �keystone� toclear the center arbor, as on a banjoclock. It has a typical PennsylvaniaGerman strike system, with tailless gathering palletand rack hook locking, with bothlevers pivoted from the right. Theweights are compounded and suspend-ed from pulleys at the top of the caseand run down the full length. Theround dial is painted iron.

The case is primarily cherry withmahogany veneer on the door. Thewood panel in the door is bird's eyemaple veneer on pine. The crosshatch-ing below the finials, the turnings onthe pillars, and the shape of the scrollsterminating in cone shaped turnedrosettes indicate that this case is fromthe shop of cabinetmaker John Smithof Donegal Township. John Smith, Sr.,worked as early as the mid-1780s. Hissons, John, Jr., and Jacob, were listedas joiners in 1829.

On loan courtesy of William H. Miller,FNAWCC. 1.9.2002

Henry Ober, Elizabethtown, Lancaster CountyShelf Clock, ca.1830

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ing system and motion work between theplates. The train layout and the position-ing of the rack and snail is identical tothat of the rack striking movements ofC&N Jerome and R. & J.B. Terry.

This clock is the only one known in alocally made case. It is inscribed on thebottom �Case/Made by A. Sloan/Harrisburg Pa/1835.� It is made primarilyof cherry with mahogany veneer.Probably to cut costs, Heisely boughtConnecticut cases, dials, and hands forhis other shelf clocks, all having labels ofcompanies in business in the early 1830s.The movements were fastened to a thickpine block that was screwed or nailed (asin this example) to the backboard of thecase.

The dial of this clock is painted oniron.

Also inscribed on the bottom of thecase is �Wm. Ingram/Watch and ClockMaker/Harrisburg Pa/1835.� William H.Ingram appears on the Harrisburg taxlists for 1834 and 1835. The connectionbetween Heisely and Ingram is notpresently known.

The Heisely shelf clocks are well doc-umented in an important article byEdward F. LaFond Jr. in the April 1968BULLETIN entitled, �Frederick HeiselyStrikes Again . . . or, After You, Mr.Heisely!�

On loan courtesy of Cas Woodbridge,FNAWCC. 1.10.2002

References:C.E. Smart, �The Heisely Family,�NAWCC BULLETIN, February 1968.S. Wood, Jr., Clockmakers andWatchmakers of Lancaster County, 1995.

Shelf Clocks�Dauphin County

Above and below. FrederickHeisely 8-day shelf clock move-ment with internal rack strikeand motion work, and woodenwinding drums.


Shelf Clocks�Dauphin County

Frederick Heisely (1759-1843) was bornin Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was appar-ently trained by George Hoff of Lancaster,as his early movements closely resemblethose of Hoff. He is listed as working inHanover in the 1783 tax records, and abrass dial clock survives signed by himthere. In November 1783 he marriedGeorge Hoff�s daughter Catherine Juliannaand shortly after moved to Frederick,Maryland. In 1786 he advertised that hemade, �Clocks of all kinds, as well MusicalChime Clocks, � likewise large Town-Clocks � Surveyors Compasses, and otherMathematical Instruments, �� By 1796 hewas back in Lancaster where he enteredinto a short-lived partnership with GeorgeHoff, and then worked on his own. BySeptember 1798 he was back in Frederick,Maryland. By 1812 he relocated toHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he workedwith his sons George Jacob (1789-1880)and Frederick Augustus (1792-1875). He islisted in the 1839 Harrisburg Directory asliving with George Jacob at 2nd andChestnut Streets.

During the early to mid 1830s, Frederick Heisely produced a remarkablegroup of weight driven 8-day shelf clocks. The movements bear a strikingresemblance to the work of Joseph Ives and a group of internal rack-striking8-day movements produced by C&N Jerome, R.&J.B. Terry, and E.C.Brewster, all of Bristol, Connecticut. However, the Heisely movements areall individually made, with cast brass plates with a minimal amount of finishing to cut costs. The wheels of this example arealso made from castings and are spoked, while all other movements observedhave solid wheels apparently cut from rolled sheet brass. All the movementshave wooden winding drums and lantern pinions. The strike levers are pivot-ed in a �T�-shaped extension on the left side of the frame, as on an Ives strapmovement. The escapement is on the front plate with a strip pallet verge on apin and a removable cock for the escape wheel.

The most distinctive feature of the Heisely movements is their rack strik-

Frederick Heisely, Harrisburg, Dauphin CountyShelf Clock, ca.1835

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ing levers and rack are made of brass.The lifting piece and rack hook areshaped and positioned as on a typicalPennsylvania German movement, but along tailed gathering pallet is used forlocking, as on an English movement. AllScharf�s clocks have many interestingdetails that reflect his European back-ground. The pendulum is suspended onthe front of the movement by a stringloop and hook, with an oval �keystone�to clear the center arbor. The pendulumbob is made of pressed brass with no leador other filling and so is very light. Themovement is fastened to the case by twometal studs anchored in the backboardbehind the top and bottom center of themovement that are pinned through holesin the back plate. This simplified the con-struction of the case by eliminating theneed for a seatboard or case dividers forsupport.

The weights are cast lead with a cavityto receive a wooden pulley, which pivotson a steel pin that fits into holes in thesides at the top of the weight.

The dial is attached by four iron tabsriveted to the corners of the dial, which fitinto slots in the sides of the case. Scharfapparently bought all his dials fromWilliam Jones of Philadelphia.

The case is primarily cherry withmahogany veneer on the front edgesabove and below the door. The rear feetare part of the backboard, and were madeby extending the backboard down belowthe bottom of the case and cutting awaythe unwanted area. The front feet andskirt are nailed and glued to the bottom board. The painted glass tablet isoriginal with some restoration.

On loan courtesy of Edward and Virginia LaFond. 3.12.2002.Reference:E.F. LaFond, Jr., correspondence from Howard Scharf, Candor, NY.

Shelf Clocks�Snyder County

Above and below. John Scharf30-hour shelf clock movementwith rack striking, tailed gather-ing pallet, and rack pin locking.


Shelf Clocks�Snyder County

Two old family Bible records state thatJohn (Johann) Scharf was born in thecounty of Aurour in Switzerland onDecember 12, 1778. Aurour was apparent-ly located in northern Switzerland nearBasel and the German border. He came toAmerica about 1815, undoubtedly as afully trained clockmaker. A brother,Joseph, who remained in Switzerland, wasalso a clockmaker. John's first wife diedon the voyage over and was buried at sea.Before settling in Selinsgrove, he mayhave spent some time in Philadelphia andin or near Ephrata, Pennsylvania. He mar-ried his second wife, Anna KatherinaWonfiedler, and a son Joseph was born tothem at Danville, Pennsylvania, on May14, 1821. The Scharfs apparently thenmoved to Selinsgrove, where he appearsin the tax records from 1822-1858. Hedied in the home of his son on January 19,1859. A John Scharf, Jr., watch and clock-maker and silversmith, appears in the taxrecords of Mifflinburg, Union County, for1835-1841. He was probably a son of John Scharf by his first wife.

Scharf may have been the most prolific of the Pennsylvania shelf clockmakers, producing as many as 100 mostly 30-hour clocks in cases of variousprevailing styles based on Connecticut designs. The movements and caseswere not as expensively finished as the clocks of Jacob Buerkle or ThomasWeaver. Like Frederick Heisely, he was trying to produce a good product ata reasonable cost that would be more competitive with the Connecticut shelfclocks. Judging by the number of surviving clocks compared to those ofother Pennsylvania makers, he was fairly successful. That he marketed hisclocks in outlying areas is shown by this clock, which bears the label ofWilliam Leach of Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, the seller.Leach also sold Connecticut clocks.

The movement of this clock, like the George Solliday pillar and scroll, isa modified 30-hour tall clock movement, adapted to a shelf clock case. Themajor change is the conversion to key winding by substituting windingdrums and arbors for the chain pullies of the tall clock movement. The strik-

John Scharf, Selinsgrove, Snyder CountyShelf Clock, ca.1830-35

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arbor. Cut pinions and smoothwinding drums were used.

The dial of this clock mayhave been intended for a BlackForest hang-up movement, as itappears to have been made withan arch, which has been cut off.It is made of thin sheet metal. Itmay be that, as in the case of theJacob Buerkle clock fromPittsburgh, this clock was madeafter William Jones stopped sup-plying dials to the trade, soWeaver had to use what wasavailable.

The case was inspired by thetriple-decker cases of EliasIngraham from Connecticut butis more solidly constructed. It ismade of mahogany, mahoganyveneer, cherry, curly maple,birch, tulip, and white pine. Themirror and the painted tablet inthe lower door are replacements.

On loan courtesy of Edward andVirginia LaFond. 2.12.2002

Right. Thomas Weaver 8-dayshelf clock movement with rackstriking and double tailed gather-ing pallet and rack pin locking.

Shelf Clocks�Centre County


Shelf Clocks�Centre County

The attribution of this clock wasmade by comparison with a signed anddated clock with a closely relatedmovement and a similarly constructedcase. That clock has several inscrip-tions indicating that it is a specialclock. On the seatboard in ink is writ-ten, �Thomas Weaver, clocks made andwatches repaired Millheim, CentreCounty, Pennsylvania.� On the top ofthe case is written in pencil, �ThomasWeaver Clock & Watch maker, W.S.Harter, Apprentice, Millheim, CentreCounty, Pennsylvania, November 6th1838.� The name of the cabinetmakerwas also written but is unfortunatelyillegible. Thomas Weaver is listed inthe Centre County tax lists from 1822-1842.

The movement of the present exam-ple has undergone some modificationsince the Weaver/Harter clock of 1838,and is probably of a slightly later date.The movements of these clocks andone other observed are based on an 8-day tall clock movement but appear tobe strongly influenced by the �SalemBridge� shelf clock movements ofHeman Clark of Plymouth and SalemBridge, Connecticut, which were marketed south into Pennsylvania in the1820s and 1830s. The rectangular cutouts in the plates are strikingly similar,as are the strike hammer and spring arrangement. The major differences arethe retention of the conventional tall clock escapement between the plates,the tall clock pendulum cock, and the strike train with a conventional warnwheel. An English type strike arrest was used but with a double-toothedgathering pallet with long tails for locking. The pendulum has been movedaround to the front, as opposed to the rear-hung pendulum on the earlierWeaver/Harter clock, and a �keystone� suspension is used to clear the center

Attributed to Thomas Weaver, Millheim,Centre CountyShelf Clock, ca.1840

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veneer on cherry, with a one-piece tulip backboard. Thebrass weight pullies at thetop of the case are remov-able and revolve in smallbrass frames.On loan courtesy of Edwardand Virginia LaFond.1.12.2002

Right and below. JacobBuerkle 8-day shelf clockmovement with lantern pin-ions, English style strikingwith tailed gathering palletand rack pin locking.

Shelf Clocks�Allegheny County


Shelf Clocks�Allegheny County

Jacob Buerkle appears in thetax records of Pittsburgh for1837-1839. Earlier he was some-how connected with one AndrewSmith, as a shelf clock with analmost identical movement isinscribed on the backboard of thecase, �Bought, February 16th1833, of Andrew Smith. He isgood for the clock 5 years.�Andrew Smith is listed as a sil-versmith in South HuntingtonTownship tax records in neighbor-ing Westmoreland County in1832-1834. Six of thesePittsburgh shelf clocks wereobserved. This example is theonly one with a name on the dial.Two others have been observedwith �Pittsburgh� on the dial butno name.

The 8-day movements of theseclocks are nearly identical. Theyare very finely finished, with thesame cutouts at the bottom of the plates. They have the English striking sys-tem with tailed gathering pallet locking and rack hook pivoted on the left but they have lantern pinions. Theyhave rear-hung pendulums suspended by a thread instead of a spring. Thependulum bob on this and at least two other clocks is of two pieces of brass,the rear piece being made from a part of an old brass clock dial. The framepillars are fastened to the back plate by steel screws, and to the front plate bypins.

The dial of this clock is painted on thin sheet metal and was probablydone locally. It may be that by the time this clock was made, William Joneswas no longer supplying dials to the trade. Before his death in 1845, it isreported that his hands had become paralyzed, �incapacitating him fromwork during his last years of life.�

The case is similar in style to the empire cases of Connecticut clocks ofthe early 1840s but is more heavily constructed. It is primarily mahogany

Jacob Buerkle, Pittsburgh, Allegheny CountyShelf Clock, ca.1840-45

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Shelf/Miniature Tall Case Clock�Montgomery County

gle piece of white pine,which runs the full length ofthe case. The entire caseappears to have been origi-nally stained dark to imitatemahogany.

On loan courtesy of the StateMuseum of Pennsylvania.1.6.2002.

Reference:B. Forman, Clockmakers ofMontgomery County, 2000.

Above and left.Henry Bower 8-daymovement with rackstriking with tailedgathering pallet,Connecticut style lift-ing and warninglevers, and Terry-typeescapement in thefront plate.

Shelf/Miniature Tall Case Clock�Montgomery County


Henry O. Bower, Falkner Swamp,Montgomery CountyDwarf Tall Clock, ca.1830

Henry Oberholtzer Bower(1807-1867) was born in DouglassTownship. His clocks are signedwith the place of manufacture as�F. Swome,� which stands forFalkner Swamp. He is said to havemade 130 clocks, the last in 1845.At least three of them were dwarfclocks.

The design of the 8-day brassmovement of this example waslargely influenced by the Terry-type 5-wheel train 30-hour woodshelf clock movement. The motionwork is located between the platesand is driven by the third wheel ofthe time train, rather than by thesecond wheel normally used in 8-day movements. The escape wheeland strip pallet verge are mountedon the outside of the front plate,Terry-fashion. The lifting rods forthe strike are made of wire as onConnecticut movements, thoughEnglish style rack and snail andrack hook are located outside thefront plate, with tailed gatheringpallet and rack pin locking. A two-piece pendulum rod is used withan adjustment screw in its middlefor easy access through the waistdoor.

The construction of the case isidentical to that of a full-sized tallclock. The primary woods arebirch and mahogany veneer onpine. The turned feet and finialsare cherry. The backboard is a sin-

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BibliographyBattison, Edwin A., and Kane, Patricia E., The American Clock, 1725-1865,

Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society Limited, 1973.Bowers, William S. Craftsmen of Franklin County, Penna. 1784-1884.

Mercersburg, PA: Irwinton Publishers, 1984.Cheney, Robert C. �Roxbury Eight-Day Movements and the English

Connection 1785-1825.� The Magazine Antiques (April 2000).Clockmakers and Watchmakers of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,

Lancaster, PA: Lancaster County Historical Society, 1995.Forman, Bruce Ross. Clockmakers of Montgomery County, 1740-1850.

Norristown, PA: The Historical Society of Montgomery County, 2000.Harris, J. Carter. The Clock and Watch Maker�s American Advertiser: Being

a compilation of advertisements of the trade including those of the mathe-matical and philosophical instrument makers, published in the newspapersof the American colonies and states, from A.D. 1707 to 1800. Unpublishedmanuscript in the American Clock and Watch Museum, Bristol, CT; copiesin the NAWCC Library and Research Center, 1984.

Historical Society of Berks County. Berks County Tall-Case Clocks, 1750 to1850. Reading, PA: The Historical Society Press of Berks County, PA,1995.

James, Arthur E. Chester County Clocks and Their Makers. Exton, PA:Schiffer Publishing Limited, 1976.

LaFond, Edward F., Jr. �Frederick Heisely Strikes Again� or, After You, Mr.Heisely!� NAWCC BULLETIN (April 1968).

�Martin Shreiner: From Clocks to Fire Engines,� Lancaster CountyHistorical Society, Vol. 96, 1994.

Robey, John A. The Longcase Clock Reference Book. Mayfield, Ashbourne,Derbyshire, England: Mayfield Books, 2001.

�Some Reflections Regarding Distant Influences on Early CumberlandCounty Clocks.� Made in Cumberland County, The First Hundred Years,1750-1850. Carlisle, PA: Cumberland County Historical Society, 1991.

�Southwestern Pennsylvania Clockmaking.� Made in Western Pennsylvania.Pittsburgh: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, 1982.

Whisker, James Biser. Pennsylvania Clockmakers, Watchmakers, and AlliedCrafts. Cranbury, NJ: Adams Brown Company, 1990.

Wood, Stacy B.C., Jr., �The Hoff Family: Master Clockmakers of LancasterBorough,� Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society, Vol. 81,1977.

Wood, Stacy B.C., Jr. and Kramer, Stephen E., III. Clockmakers of LancasterCounty and Their Clocks, 1750-1850. New York: Van Nostrand ReinholdCompany, 1977.

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