Willard House and Clock Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Willard House and Clock Museum
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The Willard Museum and homestead in North Grafton, Massachusetts.
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| Location | 11 Willard St. Grafton, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1718 |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004470 |
| Added to NRHP | June 1, 1982 |
The Willard House and Clock Museum is a special museum in North Grafton, Massachusetts, United States. It's a place where you can learn all about old clocks and the family who made them.
Contents
Discovering the Willard Clock Museum
The Willard House and Clock Museum is located at the old farm where the famous Willard brothers lived. These brothers were Benjamin, Simon, Ephraim, and Aaron. They started making clocks right here in the late 1700s.
Later, they moved their clock-making business to Roxbury. There, they became very important in the American clockmaking world. The house itself was built around 1718. It still stands in a quiet, rural area, surrounded by fields that were once part of the Willard farm.
From Farm Life to Clockmaking
The Willard family, like many other clockmakers of their time, used to divide their year. They spent part of their time farming and the rest working in their clock workshop. This study of time and clocks is called horology.
As their clock business grew and became successful, they made the house even bigger. While living in Grafton, Simon Willard, who was the most creative of the brothers, invented something amazing. He created his first "Willard Patent Timepiece," which is often called a banjo clock. He received a patent for this invention in 1802.
How the Museum Began
The museum was started by Dr. Roger W. Robinson and his wife Imogene. They loved collecting Willard clocks. They were able to buy the original Willard family home, which became the museum.
For a few years in the late 1990s, the museum was managed by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. But soon after, it became an independent foundation again. Today, a board of directors runs the museum. This board includes members of the Willard family, the Robinsons, local community members, and clock experts.
What You Can See at the Museum
The original farmhouse has been expanded in recent years. Now, in addition to the old rooms, there are two large galleries. The museum has more than 80 Willard clocks! These clocks show the amazing skill of all the family members who worked in the clock business.
Some clocks are signed "Grafton," meaning they were made there. But the museum also has clocks made after the Willard business moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts, which is now part of Boston.
Besides having the world's largest collection of Willard clocks, the museum also displays many items that belonged to the Willard family. The original house is decorated with furniture from that time period. In a rebuilt workshop building, you can see old clockmaking tools. This display shows what Simon Willard's workshop might have looked like. Most of the clocks on display are still working!
The museum also has a small gift shop. There's even a special library focused on the Willard family and clocks. Museum members can visit the library by making an appointment.
See also
