Van Wert officials dedicate the clock Thursday in Van Wert.
Cade Higgins | The Lima News
VAN WERT — Historic Main Street Van Wert and OhioHealth held a celebration Thursday for the National Bank clock restoration on the corner of Washington and Main street.
The celebration was led by various speakers thanking the donors and explaining what it took to revive the clock.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Mitch Price, executive director of Main Street Van Wert.
Although the clock is not running at 100% Thursday, Price was hopeful to see it doing so in the coming days.
The collaboration of OhioHealth and Van Wert since acquiring Van Wert Hospital in March 2023 with the goal of becoming integrated in the community. On April 15th, OhioHealth donated $6,000 to Historic Main Street Van Wert to provide funding for the clock.
It is a significant part of a major revitalization project to transform downtown Van Wert.
“We’ve invested about $40,000 into Van Wert in the last year,” said Joy Bischoff, president of Hardin Memorial Hospital and Van Wert Hospital. “When OhioHealth was approached about funding for the renovation for this clock, we were very excited to be part of the iconic piece of Van Wert history. In addition, it was special to know that our $6,000 donation was the final funding needed to bring the National Bank Clock project to life,” she said.
The clock was manufactured by the OB McClintock Company out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which operated from 1917 to 1949. It has a detailed design, including stained glass dials and copper cladding for the body of the clock.
In 2023, Main Street Van Wert set out to raise $60,000 to fund the clock to restore the clock face, glass and chimes, as well as providing a new concrete slab for the foundation of the clock.
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351
