History
On October 24, 1952 Edward Ingraham, president of E. Ingraham & Company, invited ten local businessmen to the "Town Club" (now the DuPont Funeral Home) in Bristol, Connecticut to discuss forming a clock museum. Since Bristol had become an industrial town due to its designation as the world’s center of clock manufacturing, it seemed appropriate that a museum be formed to preserve the heritage of the industry for future generations. Although there had been discussion about renovating a home close to the factory on North Main Street or constructing a modern facility located on nearby Rte. 6, the 1801 home of Miles Lewis located on Federal Hill was purchased and renovated for the museum. Except for the modification of the stairway for safety and the conversion of the carriage shed into an apartment for the caretaker, the original features of the Federal style house were retained.
The Bristol Clock Museum opened its doors to the general public on April 10, 1954. At the time of the opening there were approximately 300 clocks on display and a small library containing 50 books. The collection grew quickly and by 1956 a new wing was added to the museum. Named the Ebenezer Barnes Memorial Wing, the addition was financed through the generosity of Fuller F. Barnes in honor of his ancestor, Ebenezer Barnes. The memorial wing was constructed using paneling from the homestead of Ebenezer Barnes, which is believed to be the first permanent residence erected in Bristol. The massive support beams used in this wing were once part of the Lewis Lock Company that was located in nearby Terryville. In 1958, due to the enlarged scope of the collection and the growth of membership, the name of the museum was changed to the American Clock & Watch Museum, Inc.
Continued growth over the next thirty years made it necessary to expand the facility once again and resulted in the construction of the Ingraham Memorial Wing in 1987. The additional 3000 square foot expansion improved display capabilities and provided a gallery area for the museum’s gateway exhibit, "Connecticut Clockmaking and the Industrial Revolution." Future expansion plans include the incorporation of adjacent museum properties in order to offer additional display and research facilities as well as larger spaces for public programming.
Visitors to the museum will find over 1,500 clocks and watches on display including old advertising clocks, punch clocks, grandfather clocks, blinking-eye clocks, railroad clocks and even Hickory Dickory Dock clocks. While the museum is known to house the finest collection of American-made clocks on public display, its primary emphasis continues to be that of the Connecticut manufactured clock. The museum is open to the general public from April 1st to November 30th, seven days a week, 10 AM - 5 PM (except Easter and Thanksgiving). Friendly hostesses greet visitors and volunteer docents are available to point out highlights of our collection and discuss Bristol’s fascinating history. The museum also has an authentic early American garden with sundial and period flowers and herbs, lovingly tended by the Bristol Garden Club. Group tours for adults and children are available throughout the year with advanced reservations. Please call the office for details.
The museum is a non-profit charity (a 501 (c) (3) institution) and is supported solely by private donations, a modest endowment, museum admissions and gift shop proceeds. The organization publishes a semi-annual newsletter and a semi-annual horological journal, reprints antique catalogs from the archival collections, holds seminars and gives off-site lectures.
