Clock, Tall Case

Object Name:

Clock, Tall Case

Object ID:

2019.014

Creator:

Tracy, Stephen (1782-1866) -- Cabinetmaker; Whiting, Riley (1785-1835) -- Clockmaker

Place of Origin:

Cornish, NH

Date:

1815

Description:

Tall Case Clock. Case attributed to Stephen Tracy (1782-1866), Cornish, NH. Movement made by Riley Whiting (1785-1835), Winchester, CT; 1815. Basswood case. Thirty-hour wooden movement. Hood has two free-standing front columns, broken-arch cornice with scrolled ends, and central plinth with no finial. White painted face with black Arabic numerals, gold scrollwork, floral decoration, and "R. WHITING WINCHESTER" in black letters on gold in center.
A. Case
B. Hood
C. Movement
D. Pendulum bob, circular, lead; 3.1" diam.
E. Pendulum rod, iron wire; 38" long
F. Weight, tin cylinder with tin bottom and wooden plug in top; 6.6" high x 2.3" diam.
G. Weight, tin cylinder with wooden plug in top and bottom; 7" high x 2.2" diam.
H. Key to case door, brass

Material:

Wood
Basswood
Metal
Glass

Dimensions:

H-90.6 W-20 D-10.4 inches

Provenance:

Clock originally owned by John Westgate, Jr. (1759-1828) of Plainfield, NH. Case purchased in 1815, documented in account book of cabinetmaker Stephen Tracy (1782-1866) of Plainfield and Cornish, NH. Clock probably descended from John Westgate, Jr. to his brother, Earl Westgate (1764-1841); to his son, Earl B. Westgate (1808-1898); to his son, Daniel Cole Westgate (1857-1943), Plainfield Town Clerk; to his daughter, Bessie Westgate Hill (1883-1986); to her neighbor, Howard Zea (1916-2012), Plainfield Town Clerk, c. 1944; to his son, Philip Zea (b. 1952), the donor.

Stephen Tracy moved to Plainfield in 1811 and lived about two miles from the Westgate house.

Credit Line:

Gift of Philip Zea in memory of Howard Zea

People:

Westgate, John Jr. (1759-1828), Whiting, Riley (1785-1835), Tracy, Stephen (1782-1866)

Subjects:

Tall clocks