It’s a sound not heard in 59 years.
Clanging, hour upon the hour, through the Greater Vernon Museum is the fully restored 1913 post office clock which was removed and stuck in storage when the building was demolished in 1959.
“It’s such a significant Vernon artifact,” said curator Ron Candy.
“We had to put it back together.”
The public is invited to celebrate the centennial of the clock Saturday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The clock will be officially wound and started at 1:55 p.m.
Bringing the clock back to life began two years ago when the bulk of the original parts were found derelict at O’Keefe Ranch.
“It was a pile of junk laying on the floor and some pieces were missing,” said Garry Garbutt, a volunteer who has pain-stakingly overseen restoration.
An original 1913 pendulum had to be purchased from the manufacturer in England while some gears had to be specifically manufactured.
The governor for the chime was sitting on a shelf at O’Keefe Ranch.
“It could have been easily tossed out over the years because people may not have known what it was for,” said Candy.
Considerable research went into what the clock should look like.
With the help of Mid-Kam Manufacturing, a 14-foot-tall tower was built from structural steel so it can hold 1,000 pounds of dials.
The completed project, which cost $30,000, now dominates the interior of the museum.
“It’s 64 square feet of prime real estate we don’t have but history doesn’t stop and collecting artifacts doesn’t stop,” said Candy.
“That’s what a museum does — preserve a community’s history.”
It’s believed the pendulum clock will be popular with visitors but especially with the local school children who take part in programs at the museum.
“It’s the only one where the public can get up close and look at the workings inside. It’s very unusual,” said Candy.
