March 19, 2024

$44,500 grant awarded to clock tower project

A $44,500 State Historical Society of Iowa grant has been awarded to the Newton Historic Preservation Commission for the restoration of the Jasper County Courthouse clock tower. The clock tower is a historical feature in the courthouse dating back more than a century to approximately 1910.

The grant funds will be used to bring the Seth Thomas-designed clock tower back to historical museum grade, a project estimated to cost between $100,000 and $125,000. The restoration includes, in part, removal and re-installation of the clock and hand assemblies, restoration of factory finish to all wheels, arbors and pinions dial panels, with a coat of microcrystalline wax applied for rust protection, replacing any missing pieces, restoring the original four way differential, replace glass dial panels with UV protected sign quality colycarbontate and refinished and re-coat existing cast iron dial frames.

The clock tower project is one of 27 projects in 25 Iowa communities awarded grant funds. The Historical Resource Development Grants and Country School Grants in fiscal year 2018 from the State Historical Society of Iowa awarded more than $535,000 to museums, historical organizations and additional projects throughout the state.

The Historical Resource Development Program and Country School Grant Program are funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act, established by the Iowa General Assembly in 1989. Local governments, nonprofit corporations, individuals, businesses and American Indian tribes are eligible to submit applications. Projects funded in this grant cycle must be completed by Nov. 30, 2019.

The Jasper County Board of Supervisors previously approved the city of Newton to be used as a path through agent for the grant funding opportunity, but has not officially approved the full restoration of the clock tower.

Jasper County Maintenance Director Adam Sparks said several counties throughout the state who have done clock tower restorations. His preference would be to undergo the project as a whole, instead of breaking it into phases.

“When I look at it, I am trying to do it all one whole project, not split it up into two or three different times,” Sparks said. “When you do a clock like this and what we are trying to do is get this clock back into historical grade.”

Sparks has been in contact with several clock restoration companies and will bring final proposals to the board at a future meeting.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com