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| Reinstallation of Seth Thomas #15 Clock |
 to see a slideshow of the restored Appanoose County, Iowa "Seth Thomas Model #15" Tower Clock
The Appanoose County Courthouse, located in Centerville, Iowa proudly houses the original Seth Thomas Tower Clock. This Clock, Model #15 - Serial Number 1288, was manufactured in 1905 and then installed in the existing Appanoose County Courthouse. The Seth Thomas Tower Clock installation records show that the clock was purchased in 1904, and is recorded on page 163 of the Seth Thomas records.
The original Seth Thomas Tower Clock was restored by Rory DeMesy and reinstalled December 5, 2003. The clock is again driven by mechanical weights; only the winding of the weights has been electrified.
Before the extensive use of personal timepieces, the clock tower and its bell were important to Appanoose County residents; the clock would awaken residents in the morning and help them get to work and school on time. Many tower clocks were electrified in the 1930's and 1940's to alleviate the need to climb stairs to wind the clock - and the Appanoose County Tower Clock was no exception. Fortunately, the clock was not removed and discarded as many were. Around the country, many tower clocks have been removed when their towers were removed from various buildings; some towers were removed because of structural problems....others were removed to obtain a more "modern" appearance. Again, Centerville and Appanoose County are fortunate to have a well-maintained courthouse.
A full-color real-time video can be seen on the second floor of the Appanoose County Courthouse. The movement of the gears can be observed; and the striking mechanism can be seen as it functions on the hour and each half-hour. Visitors are encouraged to view the live video Monday through Friday. An elevator is available in the Appanoose County Courthouse for easy access to the second floor.
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