Worcester County Wonders: Time is on their side at the Willard House & Clock Museum

GRAFTON — For three generations, the Cheney family has been fascinated by the passing of time.

Robert C. Cheney followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both serving as official "timekeepers" for the City of Worcester and spending his 35-year career as a clockmaker, dealer, conservator and consultant for more than 50 museums around the country. His face may also be familiar to those who watch PBS' "Antiques Roadshow," as Cheney has appeared several times for more than a decade.

"My father was the official timekeeper of Worcester, as was his father before that," Cheney said. "Part of that job was making sure all of the timepieces throughout the city were running correctly and to the second. He also was responsible for looking after the clock in the City Hall clock tower, basically the "Big Ben of Worcester."

Cheney said the clock high in the tower needed to be wound twice a week, and when he was a little older, he and his brother began helping out their dad.

In the 1960s, Cheney's father would take the boys to the Willard House in North Grafton in an effort to save the building and original clockmaking workshop, founded by the Willard family. He originally wanted to have the property restored and physically moved to Old Sturbridge Village.

The home was built in the early 1700s by Joseph Willard and remains one of the oldest buildings in Grafton. Joseph's grandsons Benjamin, Simon, Ephraim and Aaron would all end up having a hand in creating some of the first clocks in the Willard collection.

Inside the small workshop, Simon would create what he called his "improved timepiece," now known as a "banjo clock" due to its shape.

By 1781, Simon moved his workshop and clock business to Roxbury, where a plethora of artists, cabinetmakers, metalworkers and painters were available to help create the magnificent clocks. While Willard's footprint in Roxbury no longer stands, his original workshop in North Grafton remains locked in time.

"I remember running into this room," Cheney said, standing in the center of the original 1718 workshop. "I was chasing a chicken and my father was taking measurements for some paperwork he had been filling out to save this place. That's when I fell through the floor and into the dirt basement. I'll never forget it."

Enter stage right Dr. Roger and Imogene Robinson. The couple crossed paths with Cheney's father and they, too, shared the passion for saving the historical house and its importance for the early Industrial Revolution. The Robinsons restored the home, opening it to the public as the Willard House & Clock Museum in 1971, featuring the world's largest collection of Willard clocks.

The museum features the original workshop, with ancient original tools lining the tables and the faint "tick tock" of dozens of clocks echoing in the hallways. Cheney now sits on the board of the museum and has been instrumental in keeping the hands of history's timepiece ticking within the museum's walls.

Throughout his 35-year career, Cheney said, he has been self-employed, restoring and dealing clocks far and wide. It was during this time that his path crossed with Charles Grichar, who worked in the oil industry and developed a love for Willard clocks.

"I like to say I made him a millionaire," he said with a chuckle. "Of course, he used to be a billionaire; these clocks aren't cheap."

Over time the friendship between the two grew stronger, as did their love for Willard clocks. Now, thanks to Grichar, the museum will receive a gift valued at more than $15 million to transform the space into a world-class destination.

"This is going to double our footprint," said Robert Gierschick, director of development at the museum. "We're currently working with a Worcester-based architect to look at expanding the space so we cannot only house some 90 additional clocks but store them."

The plans also include a small auditorium, a horological library and an educational space for lectures and workshops. Before the museum can receive the gift, it'll have to raise $3 million for an endowment.

Walking through the small "house museum," as the minute hands all turn from 12:59 to 1:00, visitors are met with a concert of chimes, only to be doused out once more by the constant ticktock of time.

"These pieces are each their own time capsule. Especially these clocks with cylinders inside," Gierschick said as he opened a large clock cabinet. "Look at this one. It was filled with sand, gravel and rocks from the late 1700s."

"It isn't just the rocks," added Sarah Mullen, administrative assistant at the Willard House. "Take for example this musical clock. It features popular music between 1780 and 1800, music that now only exists inside these works."

As for the incoming collection, Mullen couldn't contain her excitement.

"I don't even know of all of the pieces coming here, but there is one that has an inscription to a Mr. Nathaniel G.B. Dexter, Simon Willard's cousin. I just love the little pieces of history and the family connections. It's wonderful."

The new collection and expansion are some years away from being completed, as the museum is just now entering the design and planning phase, but as Cheney said, "What's a little more time?"

Willard clocks can be found around the country in a number of iconic places, including the base of the Franzoni Statue in Congress, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Worcester Art Museum and the Supreme Court, with each ticktock standing the test of time.

Thanks to Evelyn for her suggestion of the Willard House & Clock Museum for this edition of Worcester County Wonders.

T&G engagement editor Sarah Barnacle is getting to know Central Mass. by exploring some of the best places to go and things to do in Worcester County. If you have an idea or suggestion, please email [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Time is on their side at the Willard House & Clock Museum