PORT ANGELES — The landmark clock on the Clallam County Courthouse will be out of commission beginning today for scheduled maintenance.
The hands will stop moving and the bell will stop ringing to allow crews to disassemble and clean the clock and repair or replace its nonfunctioning or missing parts, county Parks, Fair and Facilities Manager Joel Winborn said.
If all goes as planned, the work will be finished by Wednesday.
Repairs to the iconic E. Howard Co. Boston Model No. 2 tower clock — the only surviving working example of its kind — are part of an ongoing upgrade to the century-old courthouse at 223 E. Fourth St.
County commissioners in February awarded a $243,642 contract to Aldergrove Construction of Port Angeles to spruce up the interior and exterior of the original courthouse off Lincoln Street in its centennial year.
Restoration work
The project includes the restoration of the decorative flooring and rail on the interior and a complete remodel of the second-floor restrooms.
Exterior work includes pressure-washing and sealing of the red-brick exterior and the repair of the decorative metal, wood trim, light standards and damaged terra-cotta at the main entry.
Winborn said the clock repairs are one of the final components of the overall project, which is scheduled to be finished June 20.
Clallam County received a $139,400 grant from the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation for the work.
The rest comes from real estate excise taxes.
Prior grants from the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation have supported a roof replacement project, energy-efficiency upgrades and a major remodel on the main floor of the courthouse.
The courthouse was built in 1914 and opened in 1915.
A centennial celebration is planned for later this year.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
