Seth Thomas 12 Inch Drop Octagon. A School Clock retailed by Otto H. Fasoldt in Albany, New York.
This "Drop Octagon Twelve Inch" was made by the Seth Thomas Clock Company of Thomaston, Connecticut. These clocks a commonly called "School House" clocks because they were often used in school rooms across this country. In my opinion, the Seth Thomas version of this clock is the model by which all other school clocks are judged.
This is a nice clean example. The time-only movement features skeletonized brass plates. The front plate is die-stamped with the Maker's trademark, and the number "9 1/2" is in the lower left corner. (Please note that the pictures of this movement were taken before this clock was serviced.) This movement is a spring wound, fitted with a Geneva Stop winding mechanism and is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. The pendulum bob is brass and can be viewed through the glass door in the front of the case. A Seth Thomas set up label is pasted inside the case and is easily viewed when one opens the lower door. The dial is protected by glass that is secured in a brass bezel. The dial measures 12 inches in diameter and is painted on tin. It features large Arabic-style hour numerals and the Retailer's name in block lettering.
The Retailer, Otto Henry Fasoldt, was the son of Charles Fasoldt, one of America's most ingenious clockmakers. After Charles died, Otto continued the retail store operations that his father established for a period of time. Otto ordered this clock from Seth Thomas in 1904 with the intention of selling it in his store under his own name. Otto was also the proprietor of the "Pioneer Camp on Lake Rondake in Herkimer County, New York State. The camp specialized in servicing hunters that were interested in hunting deer and other game. It is said that it was available in abundance in this region.
This oak case clock was made by Seth Thomas in Thomaston, Connecticut, in May of 1904. It is dated with the Seth Thomas code on the back of the case.
This clock measures approximately measures 23.5 inches long.
Inventory number 215014.
Seth Thomas was born in Wolcott, Connecticut, in 1785. He was apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner and worked building houses and barns. He started in the clock business in 1807, working for clockmaker Eli Terry. Thomas formed a clock-making partnership in Plymouth, Connecticut, with Eli Terry and Silas Hoadley as Terry, Thomas & Hoadley. In 1810, he bought Terry's clock business, making tall clocks with wooden movements. Seth chose to sell his shares in the partnership in 1812, moving in 1813 to Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut, where he set up a factory to make metal-movement clocks. In 1817, he added shelf and mantel clocks. By the mid-1840s, He successfully transitioned to brass movements and expanded his operations by building a brass rolling mill and a cotton factory. In 1853, He incorporated the business but continued to be the majority shareholder. This clock business expanded until it became one of the "BIG Seven" in Connecticut. Their product line had offerings that competed at every price point, from kitchen clocks to precision regulators. Seth Thomas died in 1859. The community of Plymouth Hollow so revered him that they changed the name on July 6, 1875, to Thomaston in his honor. After his death, his son, Aaron, took over the company's leadership. Aaron is credited with increasing the business by adding a number of new case styles and improving production methods. The company went out of business in the 1980s.
