The story of the Clocktower begins with Mr. James Noble, Sr. of Cornwell, England, who moved his family of six sons and several daughters from Reading, Pennsylvania to Georgia’s Rome. He purchased property along the banks of the Etowah River in downtown Rome and built an immense foundry and machine works. Here, he and his sons manufactured steam engines and other articles of iron and steel. When the South seceded from the Union, the Noble Foundry converted a large share of its production to producing cannons for the Confederacy. This activity became known to Federal forces which led to the occupation of Rome in 1864. Months later, General Sherman ordered the evacuation of Federal troops, the Noble Foundry destroyed, and most of the downtown to be destroyed by fire.

By 1870, the newly reformed Rome Fire Department purchased two steam pumpers to be used to fight fires. The two pumpers together would quickly drain wells on Broad Street, so an effort was launched to create a reservoir system that would store enough water to fight fires without draining those wells. The Noble family was awarded a contract to construct the water tower.  The cost projected was $100,000 –  the city’s total revenue at the time totaled $21,000! The proposal became quite a political issue. The water tower was planned for the hill where the Clocktower stands now. There were those who insisted such terrific water pressure from opened faucets would “knock the bottom out of a tin cup.” 

The issue passed, and in 1871 construction began. The water tower is built of 10-foot sheets of iron, manufactured at the Noble Foundry. Transported to Neely Hill, these sections were hand-riveted together to form the tank. The tank itself is 26 feet in diameter, 63 feet deep and had a capacity of 250,000 gallons. It is surrounded by a red brick tower decagon in shape, with a three-foot space to permit an interior spiral staircase of 107 steps. 

After the tank was dedicated in January 1872 the citizens of Rome wanted to beautify it by adding something to the top. The first suggestion was an observatory on top with a telescope. Sadly, it was found the tower could not support the weight of the telescope, so the idea was abandoned. The second suggestion was to add clockworks. Mr. Noble designed a 41-foot wooden superstructure to house the new clockworks and the four faces making the tower 104 feet high.

The clock was made by the E. Howard Clock Company of Boston, Massachusetts and was shipped to Rome on October 7, 1872, on the order of John W. Noble. Its face is nine feet in diameter; the minute hand is four feet and three inches and the hour hand, three feet and six inches. It is known by the manufacturer as their “No. 2, hour-striking, eight day clock.” The bell was made by the Meneely Bell Foundry of West Troy, New York. It is of genuine bronze, 32 inches high, and measuring 40 inches in diameter at its rim which is 3 ½ inches thick. Molded into its rim is the date 1872. The bell has functioned properly since its original installation. The original clockworks were later replaced by four electric motors; one on each clockface and a computer to synchronize the clockfaces to show the same time.

Through the years several restoration projects have taken place. In 1986, the Rome Jaycees raised more than $80,000 to repair the brick structure and provide landscaping on the grounds around the tower. In 1995, the Rome Jaycees fundraising efforts concentrated on improvement of the Clocktower interior. Local artist Chuck Schmult was commissioned to paint murals on the iron walls depicting the history of Rome.

In 2019, the flagpole was dedicated and the “As Time Goes By” garden designed by the late John Schulz was installed. The garden is designed to offer a new bloom each day of the year.

In 2023, $800,000 in S.P.L.O.S.T. funds were allocated to make structural repairs and restore the historic Rome Clocktower. Crews removed nearly 2,000 pounds of old paint to address severe decay beneath the surface, corrected a noticeable structural lean, and reinforced the interior timber framework and metal tie rods. The project also included fresh exterior paint, roofing improvements, upgrades to the historic clock mechanisms and control systems, and the addition of gold-colored paint to the clock hands to more closely reflect their original appearance. The work was completed by Savannah-based Landmark Preservation. The extensive conservation effort earned Rome the prestigious Marguerite Williams Award from the The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation in 2026.