The Clocktower Museum during opening day with visitors and antique automobiles on the lawn

Clocktower Museum

The 1913 Anniversary Tower built on the old hay barn to mark 250 years of Boothe family history in north Stratford.

Category

Museums & Collections

Built

1913

Commemorates

250 years in Stratford

Known For

Howard clock and chimes

Open To Visitors

Seasonal / During Tours

The Anniversary Tower and Its Clocks

In 1913, the family celebrated the 250th anniversary of its presence in north Stratford by building an Anniversary Tower on top of the old hay barn. David designed it, and both brothers worked on its construction. Five massive cast iron bells were placed at the top and inscribed with Boothe and Nichols genealogy. The brothers searched New England for a clock and acquired an 1815 handmade cherry clock from an abandoned Massachusetts church in exchange for a Eureka carpet sweeper. When that clock would not run, they installed a large Howard clock that remains in use today, with Westminster chimes and a pendulum extending nine feet into a pit below.

What to Look For

  • Clocktower form built over the old hay barn
  • Genealogy themes connected to the bells
  • Howard clock with Westminster chimes
  • The 1815 cherry clock restored by a Friends volunteer
  • Views linking the tower, Windmill, and central grounds

Preserving the Clocktower Museum

Preserving museum spaces like the Clocktower Museum protects the objects, mechanisms, and stories that make Boothe Park distinctive. The Friends of Boothe Park work with volunteers, members, and donors to care for the collections, buildings, gardens, and grounds.