A Clock Ticks at the Clarke

If you've been by the Museum in the last week or so, you may have seen a scaffolding set up with a light on top and a person meticulously chipping away at the area around the historic bank clock.

The Clock on the wall was part of the original, 1912 Albert Pissis-designed Bank of Eureka Building, which you can see in the photo to the right, c 1920-1930. In this same photo, the walls and ceilings had colored details, although due to the dates of the photo, we were unsure of what those colors were. For a long time, we've been hoping to figure out what the colors were and restore them, as the paint would highlight and draw attention to the elaborate plaster work that covers the main hall.

The clock (as seen from the Visitor Center) before the restoration.

This year, Lisa Jarrow cracked the code: using special paint excavation techniques, she chipped away at more recent coats of paint to reveal the historic colors beneath. This week, she chipped away more of the paint and painted the wreath around the clock face to its historic gold color. She also cleaned up the marble in the clock face to restore it to its original appearance. 

Lisa Jarrow's ketch of the restored clock area.

The long-term plan is to restore the building interior to its original appearance, by repainting the wall and ceiling detailing, updating lighting, and re-installing previously removed chandeliers. We always say that our historic building is our number one artifact and, following protecting the building with our recently installed new roof, restoration is the second step we take to ensure that its historical value remains intact. 

Day 1

Day 2

Painting finished-for now

What's Next?

Electricians from Bob White Electric, who also helped to sponsor this project, came by last week to determine how the clock is wired and how to update the wiring to modern standards for safety and will be powering up the clock within a few weeks. It's been about 10 years since the clock worked, and we're excited for it to start ticking again! 

Thank you to the following individuals and companies for making this project a reality!

Lisa Jarrow
Bob White Electric
​Chuck Petty