Elnathan Taber of Roxbury, Massachusetts. A fine tall case clock. 215015.
This classic New England tall clock features an inlaid mahogany case with well-balanced proportions. It stands about 8 feet (98 inches) tall to the top of the center finial. The upper hood, or bonnet molding, measures roughly 20 inches wide and 10 inches deep.
The line-inlaid mahogany case stands on four ogee bracket feet that support a double-stepped base molding. These moldings are attached to the bottom of the base panel, which is made from vertically laid figured mahogany. The base panel also features an intricate line inlaid pattern that resembles a herringbone design. A Massachusetts shelf clock by E. Taber in the Old Sturbridge Village Collection has a similar inlay. The waist section has a rectangular door with applied molding, and the mahogany veneer here shows long, subtle lines. This panel is also line-inlaid like the base. The sides have quarter columns with brass stop-flutes, brass capitals, and bases. The bonnet has a traditional New England fretwork pattern, supported by fluted and capped plinths with brass finials. The bonnet columns are also brass, stop-fluted, and finished with brass capitals and bases. The arched bonnet door, lined with inlay, opens to access the painted iron dial.
The dial is colorfully painted and comes from England, made by the Osbourne Manufactory. Each of the four spandrel areas features floral designs. The arch displays the Prince of Wales's symbol, consisting of three ostrich feathers rising from a blue coronet. The time ring shows the hours, minutes, seconds, and calendar day. The dial is signed by the maker, "WARRANTED / E.* TABER" in large block letters.
The movement is made of brass and is well-crafted. Four turned pillars hold the two brass plates together. Hardened steel shafts support the polished steel pinions and brass gears. The winding drums are grooved, and the escapement uses a recoil design. This weight-driven movement runs for eight days on a full wind. It has two trains for time and striking, with a rack-and-snail striking system that strikes each hour on a cast-iron bell above the movement.
This beautiful clock was made circa 1795.
Inventory number 215015.
Elnathan Taber was born in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, on February 14, 1768, and may have died there on February 27, 1854, at the age of 86. His family roots trace back to the early colonial period in New England, a time when craftsmanship and trade were integral to the growing American identity. His grave was moved from Dartmouth to Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain on October 29, 1870, reflecting the lasting reverence for his legacy. His parents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Swift) Taber, were part of a community that valued skilled trades and the transmission of knowledge through apprenticeship. Elnathan was the older brother of Stephen Taber, whose fortune later contributed to the founding of Taber Academy in Marion, MA, further tying the family to regional educational and social advancement.
Both brothers ventured to Roxbury, a hub for clockmaking in the late eighteenth century, where they were trained by the renowned Willard family. Elnathan began his apprenticeship at just 16, immersing himself in an era when American clockmaking was coming into its own, moving from reliance on imported English clocks to the production of distinctively American timepieces. After completing his apprenticeship, Elnathan remained in Roxbury, establishing his own shop on Union Street—later renamed Taber Street in his honor in April 1868, a testament to his influence on the community. He was the first resident of that street, which soon became a center of horological innovation. William Cummens, another accomplished clockmaker, later joined him on the block, setting up shop at the corner of Winslow. This short street, nestled between Warren Street and Winslow Street, became symbolic of the burgeoning American clockmaking tradition.
Elnathan maintained a close working relationship with his mentor, Simon Willard, a leading figure in American horology, and became one of his most celebrated apprentices. Simon authorized Elnathan to manufacture his patented timepieces during the crucial patent period, thereby making Elnathan a key figure in the spread of American-made clocks. In addition to crafting clocks, Elnathan was also a prolific repairman, and his name can be found engraved on numerous Boston-area clocks as a record of his service. His marriage to Catherine Partridge in January 1797 further connected him to the clockmaking community, as Catherine and her sisters married into several prominent clockmaking families—Elizabeth to Abel Hutchins, Mary (Polly) to Aaron Willard, and a third sister to Samuel Curtis—creating a network of artisans and innovators. Over the years, many tall case clocks, wall timepieces, including banjo and coffin clocks, and several Massachusetts-style shelf clocks crafted by Elnathan Taber have been owned and sold, each representing a piece of early American history and craftsmanship.
