North Haven, CT – Many years ago when Gloria Furnival was visiting an old friend, Mable Squires, she noticed an old Grandfather clock she thought would make a nice addition to the North Haven Historical Society’s collection.
Last Thursday she and several other Society officials visited the home of Mable Squires who had died in 1999 to collect several items the family donated. Mable Squires brother, Sherman Squires, agreed that the old clock that had been in their family as long as they could remember would be well suited to a permanent home one day at the Historical Society.
Furnival believes that because the clock has wooden gears rather than brass, it matches the design of other clocks made around the time of the War of 1812. “Hopefully there’s nothing broken,” said Nick D’Errico, assistant curator for the Society, as he inspected the inner workings of the clock.
As D’Errico and Society treasurer Walt Brockett examined the old timepiece, Furnival perused an account book containing the late 1700s to early 1800s records of local cabinet maker Daniel Pierpont. She plans to study the book at length to see if she can find a record of Pierpont making the old clock. The clock stands 8 feet tall.
“This is a sample of something we believe was made here in North Haven. “This is part of the history of North Haven,” said Bruce Dumelin, immediate past president of the Society.
Grandfather Clocks like this may last 200 years and become not only a part of the families history but also an example of the New Haven areas clock building heritage during this period. The grandfather clock still here after 200 years.