Levi Pitkin of Montpelier, Vermont.

Levi Pitkin was the son of Joshua Pitkin and Anna Stanley and was born on February 23rd, 1774, in East Hartford, Connecticut. About 1787, he served an apprenticeship with the accomplished Windsor, Connecticut clockmaker, silversmith, and engraver Daniel Burnap. We know that he moved north to Montpelier, Vermont, by 1796. It is recorded that he was an original member of the Aurora Lodge No. 9, F & AM, which was chartered in that year. Jacob Kimball, a second clockmaker, was also working in Montpelier at the time. In Montpelier, Levi is listed as a jeweler, silversmith, and clockmaker and soon marries Abigail Belden. Together they had three children. Eliza 1798-1870, Abigail 1803-1856, and Nathan 1800-1859. In April of 1800, Levi is recorded as one of 83 members that formed the first Congregational Society of Montpelier. In June of the same year, they formed the Congregational Church. In 1808, Levi's wife died. This must have broken his heart because he moved to Marshfield and became one of several people "warned out of town." (Between 1803 and 1817, the selectboard would "warn out of town" those people who might become indigent, thus relieving the town of responsibility for their care.) In 1811, Levi moved to Ogdensburg, NY, and advertised his skills. In 1827, he is listed as living and working in Rochester, NY, until about 1827. Levi died on June 1st, 1854, back in Ogdensburg.

Currently, only three tall clocks are known by this maker. One is owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution and is displayed in the John Strong Mansion in Addison, Vermont. A second tall clock is currently in a private Vermont collection.