The 1976 Restoration
In 1964, the Cranbury School Board determined that the old school was outdated and unable to meet the future demands of Cranbury. A new school was built in 1967 and plans were made to demolish the old school. A citizens group called the “Save the Old School Committee” prevented this from happening but, beginning in 1968, the Old School, along with its historic clock and bell, was abandoned.
The Old School’s road to recovery began three years later. Through the combined effort of the “Save the Old School Committee” and the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society, the Old School was officially registered as a State Historic Place on May 6, 1971. On June 21, 1971, it was registered as a National Historic Place. When completing the nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places, the condition of the clock was described as follows:
On the side of the cupola toward Main Street was the face of a clock. The works, inside the building, were operated by iron weights. The works are still there, in good condition. The face of the clock was blown off by the same storm that tore away the weathervane. The appearance and action of the clock can be easily restored.
The original bell, at first tolled by a rope and pulley, is in place in the cupola. On the side of the bell, cast in raised letters, appear the names of the Board of Education for 1897. The bell was presented to the school by the graduating class of that year.
In 1973, the Cranbury School Board delegated the responsibility for restoring and operating the Old School to Cranbury Landmarks, Inc. As part of the restoration effort, Cranbury Landmarks also coordinated the restoration of the tower clock. As reported in an article in the Cranbury Press on September 24, 1976:
Local builder Don Armstrong directed the reconstruction while Walter Davis, his assistant, built the clock face and prepared the numerals. Vernon Clemmer, assisted by Ray Shankweiler, repaired the original clock works and Charles Amend painted the face and helped Armstrong replace it on the tower last Saturday morning. The hands were made by area blacksmith Alvin Schroeder.
The Old School, circa 1973
Vernon Clemmer and his son, Gus
Left to Right: David Cook, Jake Cook (leaning out window), Don Armstrong (seated on board), Phillip Amend, Charles Amend
In a Cranbury Press article on June 15, 2001, Barbara Thomsen (president of Cranbury Landmarks at the time) gave a slightly different take on the creation of the clock face:
According to Ms. Thomsen, John Dickey, a restoration artist from Pennsylvania, used old photographs of the clock tower to create a drawing of what the original clock face looked like. A contractor, Don Armstrong, was hired to make the duplicate and Ray Shankweiler made the numerals, second dots, and hands out of brass.
As reported in an article in the Cranbury Press article on October 12, 2001, the bell mechanism was not repaired at this time:
In 1976, the clock face was rebuilt as part of the renovation, but the bell mechanism couldn't be repaired because of the cost.
