Wellsville Community Clock
On a sunny, Saturday afternoon in October, members of the Wellsville community gathered at the corner of Jefferson and North Main to witness the dedication of the Wellsville Community Clock. For many years the clock had stood silent with its hands frozen in time. People passed on the sidewalk without a sideways glance at the ornate clock. What was the point? It didn’t provide the time as was its mission. It was just another object on the sidewalk to circumnavigate as they made their way along North Main.
However, that all changed with the dedication of the recently refurbished community clock. The story of the ceremony and the history of the clock is perfectly captured in the article below by reporter Kathryn Ross.
Olean Times Herald — Nearly 50 people were gathered on the sidewalk in Wellsville on Saturday when the Community Clock chimed at the start of its dedication ceremony.
The crowd applauded and waited patiently under the sunny, autumn sky while the mini concert from the clock lasted approximately 5 minutes. Onlookers then broke into laughter each time they thought the tune was over only to have the music continue a few seconds later.
The Community Clock dedication has been a longtime coming, commented Bruce Thomas, head of the Chamber of Commerce, which initiated the project at the behest of Mayor Randy Shayler in late 2021.
Carrie Redman, President of the Wellsville Development Corporation, opens the ceremony
Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Bruce Thomas
“I drove by this clock for a couple of years and it always said it was 11:21,” Thomas said. “It drove me crazy to see it was 11:21 every day, so I went to the mayor and I asked him who was in charge of maintaining the clock.
“I found out that the village was,” he continued. “I asked if anything could be done and Mayor Shayler asked me to take over the project to get the clock running again. It was a fun project but it drove me crazy sometimes.”
Thomas said he was wondering where he would find the funds to repair and refurbish the clock when a man walked into his office one day and said he’d read about the clock project and wanted to help. The man was Dan Higgins. The Higgins Family Foundation provided the seed money to get the project started. Higgins and his family were on hand for Saturday’s ceremony.
Higgins cut a red ribbon that had been mounted on the base to officially proclaim that the community clock was back in working order. As he cut the ribbon he said, “We did this in honor of our parents Donald and Georgiana Higgins.”
The Higgins family moved from Wellsville to Dallas, Texas several years ago. A plaque recognizing their help in refurbishing the Community Clock will be mounted on the base.
Thomas also explained that with the help of the Wellsville Development Corporation additional funds were raised through a brick and paver sponsorship drive to help maintain the clock. Carrie Redman, head of the WDC, said the funds have been put aside in a special account.
As part of the ceremony, Ann Comstock, president of the Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society, offered a brief history of the clock.
A McClintock post clock, it was purchased by Citizens National Bank shortly after it opened in Wellsville and installed in 1924 at 99 N. Main St. There it stood, becoming a focal point on Main Street, until the bank closed in the early 1990s. For many years it was in storage until it was rededicated as the Community Clock and reinstalled at the municipal building in 2003.
Redman and Thomas officially thanked all those who helped in the restoration of clock, including Paul Robbins of Angelica, who got it running again, and Ron Sherman of Sherman Painting, who donated the paint and crew work. The painters repainted the base twice — once in the beginning and again more recently after it was struck by a truck and needed to be repainted.
Redman also thanked Dean Arnold and the public works crew who, with Dylan Foust of the Olney-Foust Funeral Home, helped prepare the sidewalk and lay the memorial blocks and pavers.
It was also noted that the reason the clock stopped was because of the wind in Wellsville, which over time had pushed the protective surface against the clock’s face, prohibiting the clock’s hands from moving and causing the motor to burn out. That has been repaired and new plexiglass was donated.
“The people of Wellsville are amazing,” Thomas said. “Whenever something is needed, they just step up and the project gets done.”
He also said the electronic equipment for new chimes, which were installed by White’s Clock and Carillon of New York, is housed in the nearby L.C. Whitford Company’s office.
While the mayor offered a proclamation declaring October 28, 2023, Community Clock Day in Wellsville, the biggest news was the announcement that the paver and brick sponsorship will be continued, starting in January 2024.
“We won’t be tearing up any more sidewalk, but we will be selling the remaining spaces for bricks and pavers,” Thomas said.
The dedication ceremony ended when the clock struck 5:30 p.m., and the chimes once again echoed through the autumn air.
Wellsville Mayor, Randy Shayler, presents the proclamation designating the day as Community Clock Day.
It is very gratifying to see the community clock keeping time for the village once again. It is a thrill to hear the clock’s chimes as you walk along North Main Street. This beautiful timepiece will hit its 100th year anniversary as part of the village next year. The Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Wellsville Development Corporation will begin planning an event to celebrate that milestone. So, watch for details and plan to attend in 2024.
And, don’t forget, a special fund has been established to fund ongoing maintenance of the clock. There are blank bricks and paving stones that will be available for purchase in the near future. Your purchase of a brick or stone will be a great help to ensure the continued preservation of the community clock. In addition, donations can always be made through the Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce.