The 160-foot spire of Trinity Church, which was built in 1884, holds the four-faced clock, which is the only one of its kind on a sacred edifice in Perth County
The clock was built by George Hess of Zurich and donated in 1886 by the family of Eckhardt Wettlaufer. There weren’t many clocks made by Hess, who used an odd configuration in the mechanics of the Trinity clock, making it rather unique to repair. It needed to be “wound” about every three days. This was done with a hand crank at the clockworks level, which cranked up three massive cast iron weights to power the clock and its chimes. For a number of years it didn’t work, and in 1977 was restored by a licensed watch repairman, Carl Beynon of Tavistock. Beynon made new parts for the clock’s machinery and the clock worked again for many years. The clock was totally replaced by a digital clock in 2003.
On September 20, 1969, a huge stainless steel cross was hoisted by helicopter to the top of the tower in honour of Dr. O.T.C. Stockmann (former pastor here). The cross weighs 350 pounds and is eight feet high and four feet wide and has a seven foot base. Lange Brothers Ltd., contractors for the job, worked with Niagara Helicopters Ltd. to lift the cross into place at the top of the steeple.
Clockworks as they looked when functioning in the Tower years ago
