Beale Memorial Clock Tower
Encyclopedia
Beale Memorial Clock Tower is a clock tower
located in Bakersfield
, California
. It was a gift to the city; built by Truxtun Beale
in memory of his mother, Mary Edwards Beale. It was dedicated on April 4, 1904, and was built in the middle of the intersection of 17th St. and Chester Ave. When he was ambassador to Spain, Beale was inspired by a clock tower he saw there. He hired architect Clinton Day to design it.
In 1910, the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
started planning a double track upgrade on the South Chester Line
. The Beale Clock Tower was right in the path of that line upgrade. On January, 22 1912, the Bakersfield City Council voted to remove the clock tower. However, after protest from citizens, and Truxtun Beale, who built it only eight years earlier, it was decided to leave the clock tower. Tracks were built around it, which would create future traffic problems. However, the citizens at the time were content to drive around the narrow space.
The clock tower continued to stand until 1952, when a series of earthquakes shook Kern County. Being damaged by the earthquake, the city council again voted to demolish it. The only parts to survive were the: clock works, bell, iron spiral stairwell, balcony railings, and arch iron grillwork.
In 1961, a group of local citizens organized an effort to rebuild the clock tower. The new clock tower would be built in front of the Kern County Museum
on Chester Ave, approximately 1.25 miles north of its original location. It was dedicated on December 13, 1964 to the County of Kern.
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
located in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was a gift to the city; built by Truxtun Beale
Truxtun Beale
Truxtun Beale was an American diplomat.-Biography:Beale was born in San Francisco to Edward Fitzgerald Beale and Mary Engle Edwards; his siblings were Mary and Emily . He was named for his grand-father Commodore Thomas Truxtun...
in memory of his mother, Mary Edwards Beale. It was dedicated on April 4, 1904, and was built in the middle of the intersection of 17th St. and Chester Ave. When he was ambassador to Spain, Beale was inspired by a clock tower he saw there. He hired architect Clinton Day to design it.
In 1910, the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
The Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway was a streetcar company which operated between Bakersfield and Sumner , in California. Later, after Kern City was annexed by Bakersfield, the streetcar company operated completely in Bakersfield. The company was originally formed in 1887, under the name...
started planning a double track upgrade on the South Chester Line
South Chester Line (Bakersfield and Kern Electric)
The South Chester Line was a line of the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway. The route originated at the intersection of 19th Street and Chester Avenue, and traveled south on Chester. At the southern end of the line, there was a loop around 8th Street, N Street, and 11th Street. The line was...
. The Beale Clock Tower was right in the path of that line upgrade. On January, 22 1912, the Bakersfield City Council voted to remove the clock tower. However, after protest from citizens, and Truxtun Beale, who built it only eight years earlier, it was decided to leave the clock tower. Tracks were built around it, which would create future traffic problems. However, the citizens at the time were content to drive around the narrow space.
The clock tower continued to stand until 1952, when a series of earthquakes shook Kern County. Being damaged by the earthquake, the city council again voted to demolish it. The only parts to survive were the: clock works, bell, iron spiral stairwell, balcony railings, and arch iron grillwork.
In 1961, a group of local citizens organized an effort to rebuild the clock tower. The new clock tower would be built in front of the Kern County Museum
Kern County Museum
The Kern County Museum is a history museum located in Bakersfield, California. Its main focus is the history of Kern County . One of the prominent features is Pioneer Village. Located on , it contains over 50 original buildings from around the county, related to life in the late 19th century...
on Chester Ave, approximately 1.25 miles north of its original location. It was dedicated on December 13, 1964 to the County of Kern.