It's time to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was signed 232 years ago today. The credited writer of the Declaration was Thomas Jefferson, who was also a great intellectual, a farmer and inventor (and fellow Charlottesville Virginia resident!). His inventions range from the dumbwaiter, to the hideaway bed, to macaroni and cheese (no joke!), and to the Great Clock.
The Great Clock, made of wood, iron and brass, hangs in the entrance of his home, Monticello, which is located in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The actual maker of the clock was a man named Peter Spruck, but Jefferson was the designer. The clock is controlled by two eighteen-pound weights which are dropped down to the floor on either side of the clock. There are notches on the path down of the weights that signify the days of the week. The gong of the clock which announces the time is located on the roof of Monticello.
Work on the clock began in 1792 in Philadelphia, and was completed in 1793. Jefferson kept the clock there until bringing it back to Virginia a year later. It wasn't until a full decade after that, however, that the eighteen pound weights of the clock were installed. The clock has not been moved since.
Have a wonderful Fourth of July, and Until Next Time,
J.M.
Labels: Charlottesville VA, History, J.M.
by: WatchCases
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