OXFORD, N.S. — Long before cell phones and tablets, clocks attached to buildings were how many kept time.
Now, through the efforts of the Oxford Historical Society, the clock that adorned the former post office building and town hall is being brought out of storage and will eventually be located at the arena.
“It’s part of our history,” said Eleanor Crowley, who is a member of the Oxford Historical Society. “Ideally we would’ve been in a position where we could get it fixed so that it runs again, and we had a big discussion about that but then you’re getting into lots of dollars and we wouldn’t have any guarantee that it would work.”
It’s believed the clock was at the front of the former post office building that was opened March 18, 1937. It was made in the United Kingdom and Crowley said it was widely used by community members, even if it tended to be a little slow or fast as time went on.
That clock was repaired in the late 80s.
“Not everybody had a watch and it was sort of a mark of status to have a clock on your building,” she said.
The post office would eventually become Oxford’s town hall and the clock was removed when the building was demolished and the town offices moved to the former Scotiabank building on Main Street – a building that at one time was home to the Wild Blueberry and Maple Interpretive Centre and now also includes the Riverside Gallery.
After the clock was removed, Crowley – like others – heard the fire department had it in storage, but upon checking with the fire department learned it did not have the clock in its possession.
Town councillor and former works supervisor Brenton Colborne told her the clock was in the basement of town hall and she began the process to get it placed somewhere in the community.
Colborne said he’ll be happy to see the clock on display.
“It’s nice to see it put up somewhere so the community can see it again, even if it’s not keeping time,” said Colborne. “I know we had a lot of trouble with the clock, trying to keep it running properly, but it’s part of our past and something we should show to the community.”
Colborne said it is difficult to explain the process used to set the clock, but said it’s something he and someone else had to do at least weekly. Along with someone – usually him – going to the control room, someone had to stand outside to make sure the clock’s hand were on the correct time as the adjustments were made.
As old as the clock is, Colborne said, it’s not the original. The clock the town has is several decades old.
Crowley said she’s love to see the clock back in operation, but quickly realized it couldn’t be done.
“I took the clock to a friend to check out and see if it could be made to run again,” she said. “That was when we discovered it was made in the UK and new parts would be needed and there was no guarantee it could be fixed. Also, the electronics that operated it were not there.”
While disappointed it could not be returned to working order without a lot of money, she still wanted it to be displayed since it’s part of the community’s history.
“I went to the Oxford Historical Society to see if they would get behind the idea and then went to town council to get approval to put it in on a wall in the arena,” she said.
She said once it’s erected, likely in the spring following the winter season, there will also be a plaque placed beside it describing its history.
Although the clock won’t keep time, she said, it will be set to 5 o’clock “because it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere.”
