The Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church is better known as the “Town Clock” church, according to the Rev. Randy Landman, the church's pastor since summer of 2013.
“I didn't realize that when I first came here,” Landman said. “I would say, ‘I'm at the Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church,' and they would say, ‘Where?' Then I would say, ‘The church with the big clock in it,' and they would say, ‘Oh yeah, the Town Clock Church.'”
Relic is a century old
For more than 100 years, the four-faced clock situated in the high tower of the church has acted as a beacon in the borough.
“The clock is a well-known landmark in the town,” said George Hockenberry, a member of the church's board of trustees.
“People always talk about the clock — the town clock and the Doughboy. They are both unique,” he said.
The clock ceased to function in 2003 when high winds forced one of the face dials to overlap atop the other, Hockenberry said.
“That caused the motor to burn out,” he said. “People said that they really missed having it here to check their time.”
Borough lends a hand
The old clock's motor and inner workings cost more than nearly $23,000 to repair, so borough officials offered to help solicit donations for the church to get it back up and running, Hockenberry said.
“We got donations from individuals and from businesses and organizations,” he said. “We were glad to see it up and running again.”
The borough actually owns the clock, maintains it and pays the church $1 a year to lease it for town usage, Hockenberry said.
“They really do send us the dollar every year, too,” he said.
Hockenberry was told such an the arrangement is quite unusual, he said.
“I was told by a gentleman that he only knows of one other clock in a church that is actually owned by the town, and that is somewhere in Kentucky,” Hockenberry said.
New motor restores timekeeper
The clock again ceased to keep time starting in 2012, and once again, it sat idle until a new motor could be found, which was installed at the beginning of the year.
“It's such a small motor, measuring only about 5 inches by 3 inches,” Hockenberry said. “It's amazing that something so small can run something so big.”
Since the clock began running again, it has kept time, and it has not needed adjustment, Landman said.
“If one gear goes off just by a little bit, it could make a big difference,” he said. “If it's only off by a few seconds an hour, it adds up over time.”
Word spreads regarding repair
The arrangement with the church has worked out well, borough Manager Jeff Landy said, he has heard good feedback about the clock operating again.
“There was a lot of effort put in to getting the clock running again by a lot of people, and it's good to have it back again,” Landy said.
Although the clock is again running, the carillon, which contains the bells that play music, remains out of order, Hockenberry said.
“We would love to have the carillon back up and running,” he said. “It's just so old, and it was no longer reliable, but we would need another ($7,000) to ($8,000) to do that. Maybe that is something that we can do down the road.”
Marilyn Forbes is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media.
