This New Haven mantel clock is a late 19th Century piece constructed of pine and faced with a Rosewood veneer. New Haven produced a wide range of mantel and cottage clocks during the last quarter of the 19th Century, values depend mainly on the complexity of design of the case work. Incorporated February 7, 1853, the New Haven Clock Company was formed by clockmaker Hiram Camp and others to supply clock movements to the Jerome Manufacturing Company, then the largest clockmaking operation in the world. Three years later, the Jerome firm went bankrupt and in April of 1856 the New Haven Clock Company raised an additional $20,000 and purchased the Jerome operation.

By 1860, the firm employed 300 men and 15 women and was producing about 170,000 clocks a year. In 1866, the old Jerome factory was destroyed by fire, but a new brick factory was soon built. Their working force had increased to 460 men, 52 women and 88 children by 1880 and nearly half a million dollars worth of clocks were produced that year.

Non‑jeweled pocket watches were added to the line that year and were offered until the 1950’s. In 1956, it was reorganized under Chapter X of the bankruptcy act and in 1960 the operation ceased and the clock manufacturing facilities were sold on March 22‑24, 1960 at public auction and by private negotiation.

Mike Wilcox

Wilcox & Hall Appraisers