History of the Clock Tower Building

In 1848, with a flourishing population of only about 40, the residents of Strathroy decided that they needed their own postal facilities.  They mailed their petition, but Mr. Brown, postmaster of the competing city of Katesville, never forwarded the document to the authorities.  The residents tried another mailing from Adelaide, which again was thwarted.  Finally, they sent a third application from Delaware, which ultimately reached its goal and Strathroy was pleased to nominate Timothy Cook as their first postmaster.

Public buildings of the time were in the classic style - Roman or Greek, following British and American practices, but Canada wanted a true Canadian image. 

Following Confederation in 1867, Government was eager to instill a sense of unity and pride in Canadians.  Therefore a national architectural style was developed for proposed public buildings. The new parliament buildings in Ottawa, built in 1869, were the model for this new Dominion style.

Thomas Fuller, as chief architect for the Department of Public Works, designed 140 buildings for the Dominion...30 were post offices in Ontario towns and to date, less than half remain. 

Although Fuller’s buildings were immediately recognizable, he built to suit each individual location.  Architectural features include a 2 ½ storey mansarded block and pyramid roofed clock tower. 

The Strathroy post office site was bought by the Federal Government for $ 2,400.00.  The contract for building was $ 14,475, and awarded to the firm of Lewis & Cluff and the heating contract went for $ 1,220.00 to Garth & Co.  The building itself was finished in 1890.

 High central gables and string courses on brick facade, with dormers, finials and arched entrances added  the highly decorated surfaces of this public building. 

This structure was designed to contain the Post Office on the first floor of the main block.  Weights and Measures and examining warehouse were in the first storey wing and Customer Inland Revenue offices on the second floor.  The caretaker’s apartments were in the attic.  The building functioned as intended until 1964, when a new Post Office was built. 

The American made clock was not installed until 1901. The one ton bell bears the name of the maker, M.C. Shane Bell Foundry, Baltimore, Maryland.  J.E. Ellis Co. Ltd., Toronto.  The clock itself was made by E. Howard & Co., Boston Mass. 

This old post office is significant, not only locally but provincially and nationally as well.  It was considered important by the Government of the day to have a “Federal presence” in the smaller towns of the new nations.

At the time, the clock was valued at $ 2,000.00, a very expensive item.  The clock installation was done by Harry C. Critton, a Strathroy jeweler and Strathroy contractor, George McBeth.  The clock was lifted up the outside of the tower and moved inside through the space that is now filled with the clock dial. 

Operated by two weights, one for the striking mechanism and the other for time, this is a very heavy unit.  The running weight is 100 pounds and the striking weight is 200 pounds.  The clock measures four 4' high times 1 ½' wide and contains 100 separate parts. 

The hands of the clock are driven by 4-5' shafts, one for each face.  The actual dial measures 5 ‘. 

Little attention is required for the maintenance of this clock.  10 minutes winding for the striking weight and 2 minutes for the running weight each week was enough to keep the town’s clock running. 

Clock weights fall the full 40' from the clock to the main post office floor.  Every five years the Department of Public Works would visit and overhaul the mechanism. 

For 40 years, John R. McIntosh, a Strathroy jeweler looked after maintenance of the clock.  He explained the curious fact that one of the faces cannot be seen.  He said that a false roof was build to accommodate a water tank before the town water supply was created.  Therefore, the face which should be visible from Front St., is hidden. 

In 1970, George Wallace bought the building for $ 47,000., and held two mortgages.  He soon discovered that he lacked experience in dealing with the public and was too lenient to his tenants’ hard luck stories.  He had bought the Post Office for security in his old age and converted it to four upstairs apartments and a billiard hall on the main floor.  However, town police would not respond to his calls for help to control rowdyism.  Over time, older patrons stopped coming because of the lack of police protection and vandalism quickly became rampant. 

In 1976, time had taken its toll and the clock tower was presenting a hazard to pedestrians on Frank St.   Demolition was threatened and a final notice was issued for immediate action to repair the crumbling tower.   The brick masonry of the tower had deteriorated to the point where falling brickwork, due to high winds and continued free thaw cycles was a constant threat. 

The owner at the time was unable to find a contractor to do the restoration work and the town had to erect a protective walkway.  Cost of repairs was estimated to be in the $25,000. range.  Unfortunately, the entire experience was too much for George Wallace and he ended up in the psychiatric ward. 

However, over the ensuing years, the clock and its tower were restored to their former glory and in fact, the entire building is now an impressive testament to Canadian history as well as offering the comforts and expectations of the 21st century.   Guests and visitors to the Clock Tower Inn are invited to tour the clock tower, one of the few remaining legacies of Thomas Fuller.