The hands of time often move slow, and in this case, they are still under construction in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The hands from Georgetown’s historic Town Clock, which were removed last spring, are being remade by the Verdin Company, according to Ryan Gardner, a clock technician for the company.

Dave Verdin, owner of the Verdin Company, said this week the clock hands could be back in Georgetown within the next 30 days.

The clock will then keep perfect time and have an electric striker that will ring the bell throughout the day, he said.

Jim Fitch, the curator of the Rice Museum, was out of town this week and was not immediately available for comment.

“It was an interesting job,” Verdin said. “We wanted to duplicate the old numerals and hands. We put movement on the clock so it would keep proper time and the bells will ring.”

The clock hands that were removed last spring could not be reused, he said. New hands that are more durable and historically authentic are now being made.

“The original hands would have been wooden hands, which would have deteriorated,” he said. “We wanted the clock hands to be perfectly balanced, so the clock can run for years and years. We also wanted the clock to look the same.”

Meanwhile, those who use the clock for their promotional brochures say the pictures aren’t quite the same without the clock hands.

Randy Hollister, who works with Realestar in Pawleys Island, said he would like to see the job finished.

Hollister, however, is now using the faceless monument for a new marketing mailer.  

The firm's next post card mailing will feature a picture of the clock tower with the caption, “How will you know when it's time... to start investing in real estate again?”

Although the lack of clock hands is not hurting his business, Hollister said the clock is a very important part of Georgetown’s history.

“I don’t know it’s having an economic impact, but you like to see the job finished,” he said. “The clock tower does look a lot better than it did. It will be the cherry on top of the sundae when we get that back. That will be the signal that job is done.”

Others have also asked the Georgetown Times when the hands will return.

  “Remember when the Front Street clock tower had a clock?” said Bob and Sue Jackson. “Whatever happened to that being finished and installed in November? And the excuse for missing their deadline this time is?”

The clock has been a Georgetown landmark since 1845.

Restoration work on the brick tower was done last year, using local money and a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

“We have been diligent in our preservation efforts for the Town Clock,” stated M.P. Swenson, chairwoman of the board of the Rice Museum.

“Work has been done following the strict preservation guidelines of the Department of the Interior. The new clock will have the same face, hands, and Roman numerals as the old clock. The clockworks will be state-of-the-art to provide the citizens of Georgetown the time of day for generations to come.”

By Kelly M. Fuller

Kfuller@gtowntimes.com