Rome’s Clocktower traces its origins to James Noble Sr., who moved his family from Pennsylvania to Georgia’s Rome in the mid-1800s. Along the Etowah River, he established the Noble Foundry, which produced steam engines and iron goods. During the Civil War, the foundry manufactured cannons for the Confederacy, attracting the attention of Union forces. In 1864, Rome was occupied, and under orders from General Sherman, the foundry—and much of downtown—was destroyed.

In the city’s reconstruction efforts, the Noble family led a campaign to improve Rome’s water supply. Despite political challenges, construction of a water tower began in 1871 on Neely Hill. The 250,000-gallon tank—built from iron sheets forged at the Noble Foundry—was enclosed in a red-brick, ten-sided tower with 107 interior steps. By 1872, a clock from the E. Howard Clock Company of Boston and a bronze bell from the Meneely Bell Foundry of New York were installed, completing the 104-foot-tall structure.