For years, the only tower clock to grace the Colby College campus in Waterville, Maine, had been plagued with operating problems ranging from inaccuracy to nonfunction. It had become a constant source of irritation to the president of the college, since one of the dials faced his office.

After many years of trying to resolve the problem “in house” without success, the director of Colby’s physical plant department sought professional help from Balzer Family Clock Works to determine the cause and correct the problem.

Preliminary research into the available historical data revealed some conflicting information. The NAWCC records listed the timepiece as an E. Howard, circa 1947, yet a reprint of an E. Howard catalogue, circa 1923, contained a photo with the caption, “Tower Clock, Colby College, Waterville, Me.”

When we arrived at the campus we were escorted to the Miller Library, where the clock was located. The colonial style wood and brick building bore no resemblance to the photo of the Victorian style stone and granite building in the E. Howard catalogue. As it turned out, over a period of years beginning in the early 1940's, the entire campus had been relocated to the present site and the former location was eventually abandoned.

Accompanied by the director of the physical plant and two of his workers, we entered the Miller Library building, rode the elevator up three stories, and walked up three short flights of stairs to reach the dial and clock movement level. Pretty easy access by tower clock standards. In the center of this room was a steel spiral staircase that extended beyond the dial and clock movement level. It also provided access to the clock movement, which was located off center to the room. The network of structural steel beams in this level not only provided stability to the tower but also interior access to each dial and its motion work.

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