Laura Street Clock about to be reinstalled?

[stephendare]

From the Daily Record
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2013-01-08

Last April, the City awarded a $51,000 contract for the restoration of the clock to the I.T. Verdin Co, in Cincinnati. The work was completed and the restored clock was shipped back to Jacksonville in September. It has been stored in a City warehouse since.

"We are anxious to get the clock back. It only took six weeks in 1973 when it was in 200 pieces after the bus ran over it," said Thomas.

Scott Wilson, executive assistant to City Council member Don Redman, whose district includes Downtown, said the clock is ready to be re-installed as soon as the City awards a bid for a concrete base for the clock.

Public Works Department Chief of Engineering and Construction Management Bill Joyce estimated it will be another 6-8 weeks before the final step of restoring the clock along Laura Street.

"We have received bids and are currently reviewing. Once we determine a low responsive bidder we will be formulating a recommendation to the awards committee. We should have a recommendation within the next couple of weeks," he said.

[stephendare]

Beginning a few months after the Great Fire of 1901, people Downtown who passed by Jacobs Jewelers could note the time on an 18-foot, four-dial clock.

Only 100 of the clocks were manufactured by the Seth Thomas Clock Co. and fewer than 10 remain in operation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Thomas_Clock_Company

The Seth Thomas Clock Company began producing clocks in 1813,[1] and was incorporated as the "Seth Thomas Clock Company" in 1853.The clock at Grand Central Terminal in New York City was manufactured by the company.

Here is the shinier brother clock of our Jacksonville Downtown Clock.  He is in Grand Central Terminal.

[stephendare]

There were a limited number of tower clocks and street clocks built and placed by the original seth thomas clock company.

Here are the ones that were installed in Florida:  There were many Hotchkiss Company Clocks passed off as Seth Thomas originals, but they were really just an acquisition of the company and look quite different from the Seth Thomas originals.

All of Jville's were the originals.  We had three street clocks and one tower clock built here.  What has happened to the other two streetclocks is unknown.  But the tower clock in Klutho's courthouse was destroyed with the building.

http://homepages.sover.net/~donnl/thomas.html

FLORIDA
Fort Lauderdale, Broward County Court House
Gainesville, Court House
Hastings, Hastings Bank
Jacksonville, Court House
Jacksonville, Duval Jewelry Co.
Jacksonville, Greenleaf & Crosby Co., Post Clock
Jacksonville, Municipal Building
Jasper Court House
Key West, City Hall
Key West, Court House
La Belle, Henry County Court House
Lake City, Columbia County Court House
MacClenny, Baker County Court House
Madison, Madison County Court House
Orange City, Town Hall
Palatka, Presbyterian Church
Pal Beach, Methodist Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea
Perry, Taylor County Court House
Tampa, City Hall
Tarpon Springs, Court House

[Tacachale]

About time!

[BIG CHEESE 723]

The clock is one of the few remaining things in downtown that manages to survive despite everything.It is like an old friend waiting to greet me when I pass it.   Can't wait to  see it back where it belongs.  And, for God's sake!  Figure out a way to keep it safe.

[Noone]

About time!

You beat me to it. When I saw the story that was my first thought.

But we can go back in time.
Scott W. What are the bids to lay a slab of concrete?
last night at the full meeting of the Jacksonville city council I shared a FIND (Florida Inland Navigation District) project that jumped $50,000 in 30 days and goes to the top of a list.
So what are the price ranges that have been received?

I am very excited about the return of the clock to Downtown.

[Wacca Pilatka]

All of Jville's were the originals.  We had three street clocks and one tower clock built here.  What has happened to the other two streetclocks is unknown.  But the tower clock in Klutho's courthouse was destroyed with the building.

Not only was that clock tragically destroyed, but so were the four lunettes of Jacksonville history/recovery from the fire that Klutho had commissioned for the clock tower.  A terrible loss. 

[BackinJax05]

The clock at Tampa city hall still works.