Seth Thomas 12 Inch Drop Octagon wall clock. Mahogany case. Time & Strike movement. 218030.
This “Drop Octagon Twelve Inch” was made by the Seth Thomas Clock Company of Thomaston, Connecticut. These are commonly called “School House” clocks because they are often used in school rooms across this country. In my opinion, the Seth Thomas version of this clock is the model by which all others are judged.
This is a special example. The case is mahogany and has been refinished. Mahogany examples do not appear in the marketplace very often. The vast majority of the school clocks seen today are constructed in oak. The fact that this example is mahogany implies that it was made for a residential setting or an office.
The spring wound movement is brass construction and is die-stamped by the Maker on the front plate. It is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. These clocks are very good runners. The brass-faced pendulum bob can be viewed through the glass door in the front of the case. This example also has the added feature of having a full-strike train. This example will strike each hour on a wire gong mounted inside the case. The pendulum bob is brass and can be viewed through the glass door in the front of the case.
The dial bezel is brass and has been recently polished. The dial is painted on tin and features Roman-style numerals. The manufacturer’s name can be found on this dial. It reads, “SETH THOMAS.” The Maker’s label is pasted inside the clock onto the backboard. The condition of which is good. It lists the place location of manufacture as Thomaston, Conn.
This clock measures approximately measures 23.5 inches long. This is an outstanding example and was made circa 1900.
Inventory number 218030.
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.
