A collection of artifacts from Owen Sound’s former City Hall clock tower will be preserved at Grey Roots Museum and Archives.
City council approved the donation on Monday.
The collection includes five bronze bells, four clock faces, and the original clockworks from the tower built in 1921.
Mayor Ian Boddy said the partnership will help preserve an important part of the city’s history.
"This partnership helps protect an important piece of Owen Sound’s heritage and ensures these artifacts remain accessible for future generations," Boddy said.
The clock tower was constructed after Owen Sound became a city in 1920.
It featured a four-sided clock with Roman numerals and five bronze bells made by Gillett and Johnston of Croydon, England. The same company later supplied the bells for the Peace Tower Carillon in Ottawa.
The Owen Sound bells chimed every half-hour until a fire destroyed most of the former City Hall in February 1961.
Although the tower remained standing, the clock stopped working. The bells, clock faces and clockworks were salvaged and have remained in storage since then.
Grey Roots currently manages a collection of more than 16,000 artifacts connected to the history of Grey County and its municipalities.
Curator Sim Salata said the City Hall artifacts will become part of both the museum’s physical and online collections.
"Grey Roots is pleased to welcome these artifacts into our permanent collection, where they'll be conserved, exhibited, and made accessible to researchers and visitors for generations to come," Salata said.
"This transfer means the City of Owen Sound's Old City Hall history will now be part of Grey Roots' physical and online collections, cared for alongside the rest of Grey County's heritage."
The artifacts will now be assessed and conserved for future research, interpretation, and exhibition.
