Page 28 - Layout 1

The J. Cheney Wells Clock Collection at Old Sturbridge Village

he J. Cheney Wells collection of over 100 early New
England clocks is not what one would expect to find
Twhen visiting Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge,
Massachusetts, an early 19th century living museum village that
re-creates everyday life in rural New England through the use
and display of the tools and technology of the time. Yet this
distinctive collection is the legacy contribution of two brothers
from Southbridge, Massachusetts who pursued different 1.
passions but shared a vision in the founding of Old Sturbridge
Village (OSV).
Albert B. Wells (1872-1953) was the collector who spear-
headed the creation of OSV in 1936 as a way to give context
and renewed purpose to his extensive collection of Americana
primitives, then housed in a family home turned local history
museum in downtown Southbridge. Albert and his younger
brother Joel—the keeper of clocks—worked with their brother,
Channing, and their father George W. Wells at the family
business, American Optical Corporation. In fact, Joel Cheney
(hereafter “Cheney”) is credited with “forty patents and some 2. 3. 4.
applications pending relating to improvements in eyeglasses of
various types also of bifocal lenses.”
Cheney, as he was known to family and in business, is
described as a meticulous man who liked order and had a “flair
for tinkering.” “It was the mechanical precision of clocks that
appealed to him,” says Thomas Kelleher, Historian and
Curator of Mechanical Arts at Old Sturbridge Village, in an
attempt to shed light on Cheney Wells’ fascination with early
New England clocks. “For Wells, clocks represented the best
combination of ingenuity, mechanical ability, and aesthetics
found in New England’s early industries.” 5. 6.
Cheney’s acquisition of clocks started in the early 1920s and
spanned three decades. His collection reflects an appreciation for tall case 1. The main gallery 2. Dome Mantle Clock
clocks, decorative mantle clocks, shelf clocks, and “Banjo” wall clocks. It 3. Joel Cheney Wells 4. Patent Timepiece Variations
also pays homage to the craftsmanship and aesthetic of such New 5. Central and Northern New England Tall Clocks,
England clockmakers as the Willards, Joshua Wilder, Caleb Wheaton, 6. Caleb Wheaton Tall Clock
Thomas and William Claggett, Samuel and Nathaniel Mulliken, Levi 7. Joseph Ives Wooden-Works Tall Case Clock 7.
and Abel Hutchins, Nathaniel Munroe, Elnathan Tabor, Eli Terry, Seth
Thomas, and Silas Hoadley, among others. 30-hour movements by Connecticut makers such as Seth Thomas and
A Caleb Wheaton (1757-1827) tall clock is a unique addition to this Eli Terry increasingly transformed clocks from luxuries for the wealthy
collection. It is a superb example of the clockmaker’s art in the late 1700s into a common feature in many households,” shares Kelleher.
in that it is both an exquisite machine with a third hand to indicate the When asked about his favorite, Kelleher is quick to point to a Simon
day of the month and a moon's age dial, as well as a beautiful and Willard Tall Clock. “It is hard to pick only one clock, since so many
striking piece of exquisitely crafted mahogany furniture standing well appeal to me for different reasons, but Simon Willard (1753-1848) was
over eight feet high. Elements of its case, made by a now-unknown such a prolific and influential clockmaker that it has to be one of his,
Rhode Island cabinetmaker, such as the raised, carved shell and block especially an elegant tall case clock like that, with a mahogany case
front of the trunk door, the well-executed moldings, and the carved topped by intricate fretwork and brass finials. It’s a classic of its type.”
rosettes and ball and flame finials on the hood are all superb examples of Although it took a few decades for Cheney’s clocks to find an
the block and shell cabinetwork produced by craftsmen in Providence, appropriate home in the village, the J. Cheney Wells Clock Gallery
where Wheaton worked. Another is a recent acquisition. The clockmaker opened in May 1982 showcasing 114 clocks and five watches. While the
is unknown, and while the clock and the inlaid case are nice it is unre- collection is predominately Cheney’s, Kelleher shares that the original
markable. It is, however, signed and dated inside the case in chalk by collection has been refined to focus on clocks pre-1840, and new pieces
Oliver Wight, 1791. Cabinetmaker Wight owned the large Federal-era have been added so the collection can tell the complete story of the
mansion house that is now the Old Sturbridge Lodge, at the entrance to “Democratization of Time” in the 19th century. “This is the best
OSV on Route 20. This is the only identified example of his work. collection of early New England clocks, anywhere,” says Kelleher about
Not all the clocks in the collection are tall case clocks. There are also the collection as it has now been curated and displayed.
many fine examples of shelf clocks and wall clocks, including “patent While off the beaten path as one heads into the Village, a visit to the
timepieces,” variations on a design by Simon Williard made by him, his Gallery is well worth the time, especially on the hour when the sound of
relatives, and competitors as more affordable but still attractive clock chimes remind us of the enduring beauty and precision of these
alternatives to tall case clocks. “Shelf clocks, many made with cheaper works of art and science. www.osv.org

26 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles