Rome’s Historic Clocktower
Build Your Own Clocktower
You are invited to build your own Rome Clocktower and submit it for display at the Rome Area History Center. The display will go up in windows at the center on January 25, 2022. Prizes will be awarded for creativity.
– Pick up a Rome Clocktower template at the Georgia’s Rome Gift Shop or the Rome Area History Gift Shop or download a template of the clocktower.
– Need help building your clocktower? View video tutorial (coming soon)
– You can also feel free to create your own clocktower using any material you prefer (cardboard, wood, clay – you get the idea!)
– To submit your clocktower for display, fill out an Entry Form
– Drop off your clocktower and entry form at the Rome Area History Center between January 4-14, 2022.
-All Rome Clocktower art submitted for the display must be representative of Rome’s Clocktower and must be 3-dimensional.
– Clocktowers will be on display January 19 – February 4, 2022.
– An awards reception will be held Tuesday, January 25 at 5:30 pm at the Rome Area History Center.
Mark Your Calendars!
January 25, 2022, 11:30 AM – Rome Clocktower 125th Birthday Party
Come celebrate the 125th Birthday of the Rome Clocktower! The Water Tower was dedicated on January 25, 1872. The bell and clockworks were added between October and November later that same year. The celebration will be held on the clocktower grounds and will include music, festivities and of course, cake! Watch for more details closer to the date!
January 25, 2022, 5:30 PM – Rome Clocktower Display Reception
Come view a beautiful display of Rome Clocktowers at the Rome Area History Center. Awards will be given to recognize creativity in the clocktowers built for the display. Works made by artists of all ages and abilities will be on display.
Clocktower History & Restoration
The Clocktower, located in downtown Rome, has undergone several restoration projects through the years. In 1986, the Rome Jaycees raised more than $80,000 to repair the brick structure and provide landscaping on the grounds around the tower. The creation of a museum within the Clocktower, became a reality in 1995 through the fundraising efforts of the Rome Jaycees.
Built between 1871 and 1872, during the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, Rome found itself badly in need of a waterworks. The water tower was built of iron sheets manufactured at the Noble Foundry. Since the time it was built, the tower has become the most recognizable structure in Rome and has even evolved into the official symbol of the city.
In 1996, local artist Chuck Schmult was commissioned to paint murals depicting the history of Rome on the iron walls inside the Clocktower. The Rome Area History Museum maintains the interior exhibits of the Clocktower and opens the doors seasonally on the first Saturday of each month for the public to explore and learn about Rome. In 2015, additional renovation work was completed to the outside and inside of the Clocktower.
In-person donations to support preservation efforts of the Rome Clocktower are accepted at the Georgia’s Rome Gift Shop & Welcome Center located at 402 Civic Center Drive (across from Applebee’s).